SuperSlayerVille 3: Season Two
by shadowglove
Summary: Sequel to SuperSlayerVille: InterSeason. Chloe is back in Sunnydale, and so are the baddies...especially the remaining members of Angelus' family, Dru and Spike...with whom Chloe has a connection she doesn't even know of. Living on a Hellmouth isn't easy.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, or Supernatural.

Hey everyone! This is the sequel to the 12-chaptered "SuperSlayerVille: Season One" and the SuperSlayerVille Interseasonal oneshot.

Warning: Note the rating has upped to "M". Also, this story will be DARKER than SuperSlayerVille: Season One.

* * *

"Not too bad _old man_." Chloe grinned, leaning against the nearest crypt, the wind still heavy with the ashes of the slain vampires. "You just got a little lost in the carnage, though, sloppy, didn't even sense me." She pouted playfully. "I think I'm _jealous_."

Turning towards the sound of her voice, the vampire looked at her in silence, before he grinned, fangs showing. "You're back."

Pushing away from the crypt, Chloe laughed as she threw herself into Angel's arms and he held her tight, spinning her around before stopping, leaving her with her feet still not on the ground, just looking up at her.

"I missed you." Angel growled softly in the back of his throat as he looked up at her.

"And I missed you." She whispered, reaching down for his face, fingers tracing the ridges of his demon's features. Once upon a time ago this face might have filled her with fear, but too much had happened, and all she felt when she saw Angel, be it with his demon's face or human disguise, was love…and desire.

Chloe understood something everyone, even Angel, didn't.

The demon and the soul were the same person, just different aspects of that person, and she loved Angel, which meant that she loved the soul which looked at her adoringly and would lay down his life for her---but she also loved the demon who would push her up against the wall possessively as they made love, and would slaughter anything that dared threaten her.

Cupping his face, Chloe brought her lips to his bottom one and teased it softly with her blunt teeth. She felt Angel's hold on her tighten and nearly _purred_ as she was slammed back against a tree, breath leaving her lungs in a violent whoosh before his lips took control of the kiss. A whimper of pleasure resounded in her throat, as Angel pressed his body up against hers, one hand curved under her ass, keeping her suspended easily.

Superior strength was just one of the many perks of having a vampire boyfriend.

Wrapped her legs around his waist, Chloe tightened her hold on him and brought him closer, groaning hungrily into the kiss as he hissed and pressed against her, hardening rapidly with every flick of here tongue, every little noise she made.

Angel's free hand reached between them towards her zipper when the sound of laughter caused them to both growl in irritation and pull away. The cemetery was close to the road, and many people walking home from the Bronze tended to pass through here.

Sighing in annoyance, Chloe felt Angel's forehead press against hers, his hands going to her hips, his body still pinning hers to the tree. "How was your summer?"

Angel chuckled darkly, tightening his hold on her. "How was _yours_? Got tired of Smallville yet?"

She smiled, amused. "You're still annoyed that I went all summer, aren't you?"

His only answer was a slightly petulant snarl that did nothing to strike fear in her heart.

Chloe reached for the front of his shirt and clenched her fist in the material, thinking back to her summer in Smallville with a frown of concern.

Vampires had suddenly decided that Smallville was the place to be, and it'd led to many innocent people being killed. Lana Lang would have joined their ranks if Chloe hadn't been patrolling the cemetery that night.

The only good thing that'd come out of this whole situation was that Chloe and Clark had been able to come out to each other about the many secrets they'd been keeping, making their friendship stronger than it'd ever been.

"It was…it was nice to see everyone again. I keep on forgetting _just_ how much I miss Clark and Pete until I see them again." She moved slightly to nuzzle his neck with her face when he made a little annoyed sound at that. "But I missed you _terribly_."

Angel's grip on her loosened slightly as he whiffed her hair, eyes closed, relaxing now that the initial desperateness of their reunion had melted.

Chloe smiled against his skin, not wanting to ever let go.

It'd taken her a lot of fighting with Angel's sweet yet annoying need to protect her (even from himself) to get them this far. It was only after her nearly dying in a boiler room that had finally triggered their first kiss, and even after _that_ Angel had held back whenever they touched or kissed, treating her like a beloved, crystal figurine.

It'd been cute at first.

And then it'd gotten annoying.

She wasn't fragile.

Not since dying.

She'd wanted him to be roughing, surer, _needed_ him to be, and yet all of her pleas had fallen onto stubborn ears.

Angel had wanted to protect her from his true nature, from his deeper, darker desires, had wanted to keep her pure and untainted.

He hadn't realized that she hadn't been pure and untainted for a while now.

Ever since coming to Sunnydale something had started changing in Chloe, and ever since her death at the hands of the Master on the night that he opened the Hellmouth the blonde had lost all innocence.

There was something dark and hungry and angry in her that'd wanted more than Angel was giving her, and it'd started to annoy her by the time she'd come back from Spring Break. She'd pushed and provoked and angered Angel on purpose, admittedly saying things she didn't think, _anything_, just to get a reaction from him.

He'd been patient throughout it all, _respecting_ her, putting _up _with her when she was acting like an all-out _brat_.

When all she wanted was for him to just _stop it already_ and move their relationship to the _next_ level.

Angel hadn't wanted to.

Well, he _had_ 'wanted' to, but he'd been too scared. What if he hurt her, what if he used too much of his strength and broke something, what if he vamped out and _ate_ her?

She'd pointed out that two of his _ancestors_ had already tried that and failed, and if _they_ had been unable to finish the job she doubted _he_ would.

Of course, _that_ reminder hadn't endeared him to her cause, only reminding Angel of what his own bloodline had done to her.

In the end, it'd taken a week of pure fighting, a threat to find a way to 'un-invite' him to her house, another week of silent treatment on her half, a couple of dancing episodes in the Bronze with random males intended to evilly punish Angel, and then finally Chloe _breaking up with him_…for Angel to just _snap_ and throw her up against the alley wall behind the Bronze.

It hadn't been soft or sweet or _romantic_.

But she'd _loved_ it.

The feeling of Angel inside of her, not only manhood but his _fangs_, had been the most heady, incredible and _addictive_ feeling _ever_.

For _once_ that something within her had stilled, not restless and anxious and pacing and _waiting_.

After that night, Chloe had been unable to walk straight for a couple of days, but she'd grinned foolishly for weeks to come and had been in _such _a good mood that no one dared question her about it for fear of bringing back the snappish, angry Chloe she'd been lately.

But Sam had avoided her for a couple of days anyway.

She probably deserved it.

Chloe had had to admit that during that intense, horny, unsatisfied time in her life before Angel _finally_ lost it and gave into her, she'd been kinda mean and bitchy and (as Dean put it later) somewhat _scary_.

"It's…it's been…_quiet_…lately." Angel finally spoke, his demon's face shifting to his human disguise as he finally pulled away, holding her hands in his. "Tonight was actually the only night I've had much activity."

_Is it because of me?_ Chloe tried to keep those questions out of her mind.

She couldn't let it drive her _insane_.

Angel suddenly chuckled, shaking his head. "The Master would be rolling in his grave if he knew what we almost did _above_ it."

That comment caused Chloe to tense, looking downwards and realizing just _what_ tree Angel had pushed her up against.

After the Hellmouth opened, Giles had supervised the ceremony of burying the Master. They'd buried the bones by the biggest tree in the middle of the cemetery, Giles and lying the bones deep into the earth and the girls pouring holy water onto each layer of dirt they'd shoveled onto the remains.

They'd even gotten to wear _robes_.

It'd been a solemn, quiet event, and no one really felt all that secure. Well, Chloe didn't feel all that secure, even if it was only his bones.

"Walk me home?" Chloe asked, pushing away from the tree and pulling Angel along with her.

She hadn't been able to wait to see Angel, and the moment she'd heard her father going out to bed, happy to have her back home 'safe and sound' (poor, wonderful, deluded man) she'd snuck out of her room through her balcony to search for her boyfriend in the one place she _knew_ he would be.

Of course, she'd had to drop down her balcony, on the second floor, so she'd need Angel's help if she wanted to get back up.

"Have you talked to any of your friends since you came back?" Angel asked, tightening his hold on her hand as they began to walk away from the tree that stood as marker for the Master's grave. "They have been somewhat _different_ since you left."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, curiously, wondering what it said about her life that she was in a cemetery at night, knowing that bloodthirsty vampires roamed the night seeking prey, and it didn't scare her as much as it should.

"Tense." Angel replied slowly after a moment's thought. "The Winchesters have been on edge lately, I think they're father has something to do about it." He paused. "I don't like him."

"I don't like him _either_." Chloe growled, remembering the bruise on Sam's face.

"The Slayer, though, has been quite content." Angel replied with an amused snort. "Every time I ran into her patrolling or I had to see Rupert for some reason or the other they were always together, and her scent _radiates_ happiness."

Chloe turned her gaze on him, curious. "Do you think they---?"

"No." He shook his head. "I don't think Rupert really understands the bond he has with his Slayer as yet, and just _how strong_ that bond truly is."

The vampire rubbed his thumb against the skin of her hand as they exited the cemetery, reaching the road and turning towards the direction that would lead them to her house.

"So, how _was_ Smallville?"

Chloe hesitated, before looking up at him. "Active. Hellmouthy active."

He frowned immediately. "What?"

The blonde sighed. "It had happened over the Spring Break too, but there'd only been like three vampires, so I really hadn't thought it mentionable. I thought it was a fluke, I mean, I've dealt with humans infected with the meteor vampire virus, but never _real_ vampires. Not in Smallville. Not until Spring Break."

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?" He growled, grip on her tightening.

"I _told_ you, I thought it wasn't important, and anyway, I'd managed to stake the vampires easily enough." Chloe brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it in apology. "But this time when I got to Smallville _more_ vampires appeared. And they were _more_ vicious."

"How many?" Came the growl.

Chloe hesitated.

"_Chloe_…"

She breathed in. "Twenty."

"Twenty." Angel's face was emotionless as he stopped walking and turned towards her, making her look up at him. "_Twenty_."

She winced. "Angel--."

"_Twenty_ vampires, and you didn't even _think_ about _calling_ and _telling_ me?" He growled, eyes flickering gold. "At least calling the _Slayer_?!?"

"I'm _sorry_." She'd _known_ she shouldn't have told him! He was maniacally overprotective when it came to her! "But both you and Buffy were _here_ guarding the _Hellmouth_, and I thought that was more important!"

"_Chloe_! Nothing is more important to me! Not even the goddamned _Hellmouth_!" Angel snapped at her, eyes going pure molten gold in his fury, demon face appearing instantly. His hands went to her shoulders and _shook_ her. "You could have been _killed_! Do you _think_ I'll care about what happens to this world if _you're not in it_?!?"

Chloe's eyes widened in utter shock at those words. "B-b-but you've been p-protecting it _long_ before I--!"

"Yes, _before_ you." Angel sighed, losing all anger and just seeming _tired_. "Chloe, _before_ you a_ lot_ of things were different and I had no _real_ reason for doing what I did other than to try and selfishly make _myself_ feel better for all the things I did in my life as Liam, and as Angelus. But when you came along I finally had a _valid_ reason for doing what I did. I was doing it to protect _you_."

Chloe looked up at him, unable to believe she'd managed to snag such an amazing guy, smile beginning to curve her lips. "_Angel_…"

"Don't. I can't stay angry with you when you say my name like that." He grumbled, looking away.

Chuckling softly, Chloe moved forwards and hugged him, pressing her cheek against his chest, inhaling his scent and sighing contentedly. "I love you."

He resisted for a good two seconds before his arms went around her and he kissed the top of her head. "And I love you."

She _knew_.

And that confidence made her happier than anything else.

She knew that whatever would happen, they'd love each other. "Let's go sleep."

Angel chuckled and nodded, picking her up easily in his arms before hurrying back to her home with his vampire speed. He vaulted up easily and soundlessly onto her balcony, before pulling across her sliding door and entering the home he secretly spent most of his time in since they'd started _officially_ going out.

If only Gabe Sullivan _knew_ that his daughter hardly ever slept alone on her bed…

Thankfully he never did though, as Angel usually left and was in the sewers by the time the sun was starting to poke its way out of the darkness of the night.

Kicking off their shoes and pants, Chloe and Angel got into her bed and she yawned, tired, smiling as he pulled her back against him, arm around her waist possessively.

"Sleep, Little One." He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.

"Night, my Angel." Chloe whispered, falling asleep, and resting better than she had all summer.

* * *

"CHLOE!"

Chloe staggered and nearly fell over with the unexpected force as she found herself with an armful of Slayer the next morning after getting out of her father's car and heading up the stairs toward the school campus. "Hey Buffy." She laughed, hugging her friend. "Missed me?"

Buffy gave her a squeeze, pulling away. "Don't _ever_ go away again! _Please!_ I spent _all_ summer with just pure _men_! I was about to go _insane_!"

"Really." Chloe snorted as they began to walk to the school. "Angel said you _radiated_ happiness every single time he saw you."

Buffy grumbled something about nosy vampires before looking up at her friend. "It's been cool hanging out with Giles without having to balance school and mom, you know? And I've been having to run interference between him and Ms. Calendar. Can you believe she's _still_ interested in him?" She snorted. "You'd think she'd take a hint and leave him _alone_. He is _so_ not interested in that Technopagan!"

Chloe grinned, always finding the jealousy Buffy had concerning her computer science teacher amusing. "How about the Winchesters? How are they doing?"

Buffy paused, frowning and looking all around as if thinking they might have an eavesdropper, before lowering her voice and leaning closer towards Chloe. "Not good, Chlo. They're not doing good at all."

She frowned, worried. "Angel said they'd been tense. What happened?"

The Slayer sighed. "Their dad went missing at the beginning of summer and they didn't know what exactly to do. What if he'd just up and left them? What about Child Services and all that?"

"I can't believe no one _told_ me about this!" Chloe cried out. "Are they okay? Did their father come back?"

"Yeah, in the end he did." Buffy looked violent. "But he was injured, and in a pissy mood, and I think he's been riding up on their cases harder than usual. The---the other day they _both_ had bruises." Her hands went to her hips. "They wouldn't talk to me or Giles about it, but now that you're here maybe you can get them to talk. You know they trust _you_."

"They trust you and Giles as well." Chloe looped her arm around Buffy's.

"But they don't feel the same _comfortableness _around us as they do you." Buffy explained. "I don't think you realize it, Chloe, no matter _how_ many times we tell you it, but you're _different_. You make us feel comfortable and accepted in our own skins and we can't help but come to you with our problems."

Chloe blushed, ducking her gaze. "We're always helping each other. I don't see why it's such a big deal."

"No, you wouldn't." Buffy agreed wryly, shaking her head. "And _talking_ about the remaining members of our Scooby Gang."

Chloe looked up as Jenny, Giles, Sam and Dean turned to corner, talking.

Buffy pouted, noticing Jenny. "That woman's like a _leech_!"

But Chloe didn't have time to say anything because they'd noticed her, and she didn't even manage to blink before squealing as Sam reached her, swinging her around and hugging her, and then Dean pushed him out of the way and hugged her as well.

"Hey boys." She laughed, looking up at them when they'd finally put her down. "Missed me any?"

"Not at all." The Winchesters grinned.

Laughing, she hugged them tightly. "Well, I missed you two _a lot_." Letting go she turned to Giles and Jenny Calendar, grinning. "And you guys as well."

Giles smiled and nodded in her direction, Jenny grinning and holding out her arms to be hugged.

They all huddled into their growing group of friends, listening to Chloe as she told them about Smallville…told them the _truth_, as Angel had made her promise she would. They were all a little bothered by the fact that the vampires had only appeared in Smallville when Chloe did, and that their numbers had increased during the length of her stay.

But, she hadn't told them about the Master yet.

She hadn't---she hadn't told them what he'd said to her before killing her that night.

She hadn't even told _Angel_.

The only person she'd been able to tell was _Clark, _but that was because he was removed form the situation and could give her an unbiased opinion.

Chloe _knew_ she should tell her friends and boyfriend about the possibility---even if it was supposed _impossible_---but she just _couldn't_. It wasn't because she didn't trust them, but if she told _them_ then it would make it more _real_ somehow, and she didn't want it to.

Thankfully, the bell rung and they had to go to their classes, cutting the talk shorter, and then after school Buffy and the others trained with Giles, Chloe now able to join in with them although she usually trained with Angel, thus her fighting style was completely different than theirs and she found it a little awkward doing Giles' grills.

But she didn't say anything, just tried to do it the way the others were, feeling kinda clumsy and out of her element, and knowing it was showing.

* * *

Collapsing on the sofa at home much later, Chloe sighed and closed her eyes, tuning out the sound of the program her father watched faithfully every night he managed to come home early.

"Hard day?" Gabe asked sympathetically, tearing his gaze from the screen.

"Just a little." Chloe smiled, opened her eyes as she looked at him. "And you?"

"It's okay." He grinned. "Being the manager of this branch is hard but fun at the same time. Only problem is that there are going to be some meetings in Metropolis that I'm going to have to attend, and I don't like the thought of leaving you here by yourself." He frowned. "Do you think Buffy's mother would mind you spending the time at her place?"

"_Dad_, I'm a big girl." Chloe made a face at him. "I've stayed home alone for weeks in _Smallville_ when Lionel had you managing _that_ plant. I _think_ I can protect myself from the evils of a place named _Sunnydale_."

He eyed her thoughtfully before suddenly his face shifted into that of a demon. "But can you protect _Sunnydale_ from _yourself_?"

Chloe's eyes widened in horror and she shot up from her seat. "_No_." She whispered in horror, shaking her head. "NO! _Dad_!"

"Daddy's right here, sweetie pea." Gabe sneered, fangs showing, as he came towards her slowly.

Tears began to form in Chloe's eyes as she shook her head in denial, seeing her father's demon face. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, collapsing to her knees. "I should have been here! I should have protected you! I---I'm so sorry!"

How could she have gone and spent 3 months in Smallville when she _knew_ her father was living alone and _clueless_ on a Hellmouth? How could she have been so selfish? How---?

Insane giggles caused Chloe to look up, remembering the nightmare in Smallville, wiping the tears from her horrified eyes as the same female vampiress with long dark hair and flowing gown entered the living room, clasping her doll to her heart.

"Hello my precious." She giggled, beautiful human eyes on Chloe as she walked passed Gabe and knelt down on the ground before the blonde. "Do you want to play?"

"Did you do this to him?" Chloe battled anger and fear.

She'd dusted vampires on her own, but there was something about this female that scared her unlike anything she'd ever felt before in her whole life.

"I don't play with Pawns when I could play with a Queen." She giggled, leaning forwards and taking a sniff. "Where's your King? Your Knights? Your Bishop and Tower?"

Chloe vaguely got the reference to chess, despite her referring to the Rook as the Tower.

"Why do they leave you so defenseless all alone on the board?" The vampiress pouted, sitting down comfortably, reaching forwards to run her fingers through Chloe's hair, shivering in delight. "All alone, all defenseless, walls crumbling down and armies invading. _Helpless_. Readying to be striped and captured, readying for your flag to be taken down, and ours to be replaced, flying _high_ in the crimson sky as heaven comes crashing down."

"You're _insane_." Chloe whispered, shivering, pressing back against the bottom of her seat to try and get as far away from the vampiress, from the touch, as possible.

"Mean mean mean…" The brunette pouted, scooting closer. "Miss Edith doesn't _like_ mean girls."

Chloe gulped, trying to get herself to do something, to push the vampiress away and search for a weapon, to _dust_ her ass, but she couldn't move, unable to look away from those eyes. "What do you _want_?"

The brunette suddenly smiled brightly, looking innocent and harmless. "What do we all want, Silly? To be close to home, to _hell_." She giggled, scooting closer before shocking the terrified blonde by resting against her, hugging the doll to her chest and closing her eyes with a purr as she rested her head against Chloe's frantically beating heart. "_We want our own living hell_."

…

Gasping awake, Chloe struggled at the hold on her desperately, terrified.

"_Chloe_!" Angel's voice broke through her nightmarish haze. "Calm down, Little One, it was only a dream. You're safe."

Chloe turned to look at her boyfriend, who was still dressed and wearing combat boots and his demon face, obviously having just arrived from patrolling late into the night. "Nightmare?"

"Aye." He nodded, his Irish accent slipping into his voice slightly as he sat down on the bed and looked at her, worried, hand cupping the side of her face. "What did you dream about?" His face shifted to its human disguise. "I could feel your terror from outside. I---I thought you were being attacked."

"I---." Chloe brought her hand to her rapidly beating heart, concentrating, _trying_ to remember what she'd dreamt, but she couldn't. It was like an illusive _fairy_, dancing and giggling out of reach playfully. "I can't remember."

Angel watched her, worried. "This isn't good."

She looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"The last time your nightmares were this violent the _Apocalypse_ was about to happen." Angel reminded her.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "How did you know that I had nightmares before the Hellmouth was opened?"

Angel's eyes suddenly widened and he looked away. If he had been human he would be blushing right about now. "I---I _might_ have watched over you while you slept…"

Her eyes widened and she snorted in laughter. "You _stalker_!"

"I was _protecting_ you!" He defended, embarrassed.

Shaking her head, giggling, Chloe reached for him and pulled him so that he was sitting next to her. The blonde leaned her head against his shoulder. "How was patrol? You stayed out later than usual."

Angel sighed, moving his arm so that it was around her shoulder and he pulled her close against him. "It's the Anointed One. He's been gathering forces somewhere in town for a while now, and I'm not sure _why_."

"Do Buffy and Giles know about this?" Chloe asked, pushing away from Angel and slipping out of bed, going to his feet to begin to undo the strings to his boots, restless and wanting him in bed, knowing that she wouldn't sleep otherwise.

Angel nodded silently, eyes intense on her as she knelt before him, tugging off one boot and turning to work on the other. "They are confident that now that they've killed the Master and have been training nonstop all summer that they are capable of handling whatever comes their way."

"They _are_ an amazing duo." Chloe tugged off the other boot and slapped his legs in a silent command for him to get under the sheets as she circled to her side of the bed and did the same. The blonde curled up against Angel, his arm around her back, hers over his chest. "And anyway, we're an amazing team. Together there's nothing we can't stop."

"Don't underestimate the Anointed One just because he looks like a child." Angel chided softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "He has power over the rest of them. They'll do anything for him."

Chloe sighed. "Scary thought."

"Nothing we can do about it tonight though." Angel agreed, pulling her a little closer. "Now sleep. I'll be here if there's another nightmare."

"I know." And with a small smile Chloe snuggled closer and fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

"So he spends his nights at your place." Sam announced slowly, oddly, looking down at his notebook as they congregated in the library after school the next day. "Don't you think that's kinda, I don't know, _disrespectful_ to your dad…? Or something?"

Chloe snorted, raising an eyebrow at him. "Sam, I'm telling everyone that the Anointed One is gathering vampire forces somewhere, obviously looking for an army to do some _really not-nice_ stuff to the denial-loving people of Sunnydale…and _this_ is the part of my story that you're picking up on?"

He blushed, still not looking up from his notebook. "I'm just saying, Chlo, I mean, I--," he took in a deep breath before continuing. "I _know_ you're in a _relationship_ with Angel, but maybe you're going a little too _fast_ with this? I mean…you should be more careful. You could---uhm---get a vampire STD or something."

Buffy looked away, the fight to keep from laughing plain on her face.

Dean kinda looked amused and yet sympathetic at his brother at the same time.

Giles cleared his throat and looked away.

When he'd realized before the summer that Chloe and Angel's relationship had become _intimate_ he'd taken her aside and talked to her in an embarrassed yet utterly father way. He'd told her not to do anything that she felt forced to do, but if she was old enough to face Apocalypses and fight in the war against good and evil she was old enough to choose what to do with her sex life.

He just hadn't wanted her to feel pressured into doing anything before she was ready because of Angel, stating that vampires were 'known for being extremely sexual creatures'.

Chloe had loved Giles for the embarrassing talk, and even more when Angel confessed to her a couple of nights later that the Watcher had threatened to 'pin him down in a pool of holy water, and shove a crucifix up an unmentionable orifice before staking his sorry arse', if he ever hurt her. And the Watcher had apparently said this all with a smile on his face.

"Again, I say, _so_ not the reason I brought up this topic." Chloe sent Sam a look, wondering why he refused to look at her, before shaking her head and turning to Giles. "I _know_ you and Buffy and the Winch Bros have been training hard all summer, and I _know_ that we're a strong group----I mean, hello, we _did_ stop the Hellmouth from opening."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"But let's not forget that the _Master_ saw the _Anointed_ as some sort of prodigy. He was _Anointed_ to _do something_, and I doubt it was only to lead Buffy to the Master." Chloe pressed onwards. "Plus, I don't know, I've had this hinky feeling since I came back."

Giles' raised an eyebrow and pulled off his glasses. "_Hinky_?"

"Kinda like nervous or suspicious." Buffy translated.

"_Thank_ you." Giles responded before returning his attention to Chloe. "The Hellmouth seems…_hinky_…to you? Since you've come back?"

"Well…_no_." Chloe admitted, shaking her head. "Actually, I really don't _feel_ the hellmouth much anymore since it was completely closed without any masters caught in the middle of it and earth thus keeping it kinda cracked open. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can still pick up on the mystical energies that will always be around here as long as there's a Hellmouth---as will the vampires and demons out there, thus _still_ making this Demonlandia---but it's not the same magnitude anymore."

Everyone looked at her curiously, and kinda confused.

"_Anyway_, I just have this hinky feeling on my own, and I've been having nightmares I can't remember again." She made a face. "Who knows though, maybe it's my body getting readjusted to being in direct contact with the energies again for the first time in three months, but I'm just saying that we shouldn't take it for _granted_."

"Chloe's right." Dean finally spoke up. "It's like the Condom Theory."

Giles blinked, eyes wide. "Condom theory?"

"Yeah, English, the Condon Theory!" Dean exclaimed, looking horrified. "What kinda man do you call yourself if you don't know something as simple and elemental and _basic_ as the Condom Theory?"

Giles raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

Dean sighed. "Condom Theory. You know…better have a condom in your wallet and not need it than to need it and not have it in your wallet?"

Sam turned to Chloe, eyes wide. "You _do_ use protection…_right_?"

"_Samuel Winchester!" _Cheeks flushing scarlet, Chloe turned her back on him and refused to look in his direction while Buffy couldn't keep it in any longer and burst out in laughter.

Giles colored slightly at both the apparently famous Condom Theory _and_ the conversation of Chloe's sex life, taking off his glasses and wiping them despite the fact that they were suspiciously clean. "Well, uhm…yes, well, I _have_ been looking through some journals and books since Angel's visit, but I haven't found anything else about the Anointed or what could be happening."

Chloe smiled, happy to realize that Giles hadn't taken Angel's words for granted and had been doing some research on his own.

"I will continue, though. There might be something that I'm missing." Giles put back on his glasses. "I'll take the volume home with me."

Dean turned to Giles. "Does this mean we have the night off?"

The Watcher nodded, getting up to find said volumes.

"_Great_!" Dean turned to the others. "I heard that Cibo Matto's gonna be at the Bronze tonight."

"Cibo Matto?" Buffy's eyes widened. "Oh! We are _so_ Bronzing tonight!"

"You coming?" Sam asked Chloe.

Still, a little embarrassed by his _direct_ questioning of her and Angel's sex life, Chloe just nodded, looking at her nails. "Yeah, Angel'll be patrolling by himself close to where he thinks the Anointed might be gathering the vampires, so I have nothing to do anyway."

"Great!" Sam grinned, before clearing his throat and dialing his smile down a few notches. "I mean, it'll be great if he can find out where they are and what they're doing. He'd probably feel a little out of place amongst us anyway, since it'll just be the four of us and---."

"Why don't we invite Amy?" Chloe suddenly asked, remembering something from today and turning to grin at Sam teasingly. "I don't know what changed over the summer, but she couldn't keep her _eyes_ off of you in Art today!" She nudged Sam's shoulder playfully. "Is there something you're not sharing with the rest of the class?"

Sam frowned slightly, looking away from her. "You know how Amy's mom was a witch? Well, she gave me some of her mom's magical theory books to look over, we've been talking about it together since I usually do that with you but you've been gone for three months."

Chloe wondered at the odd tone in his voice before shrugging it off, deciding he was probably too shy to admit to crushing on Amy. "Well, I think we should invite her along, I haven't really spent any time with her since the thing with her mom."

"Yeah, sure." Sam stood, grabbing his stuff. "Come on Dean, we should get home before dad if we want to get the stuff ready and go out tonight."

"Sure." Dean nodded, suddenly subdued as well as he stood. "See you girls later."

Chloe watched them go, worried, before turning to Buffy.

The Slayer just shrugged. "Like I said, things aren't good at home."

Chloe bit her bottom lip, worried.

Buffy stood. "I heard Amy being asked by Mrs. Tishler to stay back after school for something, so I'll go see if she's still here and invite her to go Bronzing."

Chloe nodded.

Buffy turned towards Giles' office. "See you Giles!"

"Tomorrow." Giles called back, apparently already deep into the volume.

Buffy grinned at him before hurrying out.

Chloe stayed alone at the table. She'd planned on catching the second bus out, but something kept her in her seat, a weird, heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach, her bones seeming kinda _warm_.

The doors swung open and Cordelia Chase grinned as she sauntered towards the table, dressed like a supermodel. "I was just passed by and saw the rejects leaving and figured you must have stayed behind and it was safe to come up in here."

Chloe, pulled out of the strange feeling, looked up at Cordelia and smiled, going to hug her hello. "Hey! How was your summer?"

They both sat down by the table once more.

Cordelia Chase, Dean's true love and greatest source of annoyance and anger, had lost a bit of her edge when it came to Buffy's group, but she still didn't want to get caught _dead_ seen with them. Yet she'd taken to Chloe after the blonde had saved her life during the Harvest, and after the secret world of Sunnydale was showed to her when the Hellmouth had been opened, she'd gotten closer to Chloe.

Beneath that self-centered top layer, there was a genuinely _nice_ girl deep _deep _down inside. She just didn't like other people realizing that. Or maybe she didn't even realize it _herself_.

"It's was a _nightmare_," Cordelia intoned dramatically. "I mean, my parents _promised_ me they'd take me to St. Croix, and then they just decide to go to _Tuscany_." She exhaled in horror. "Art and _buildings_? I was totally beachless for a _month_ and a _half_. _No one_ has suffered like I have."

Chloe bit down on her bottom lip. "That _does_ sound _horrible_."

"_Thank you_ for seeing my plight!" Cordelia announced, as if surprised that not many others had. "Of course, I think that that kind of adversity builds character. Well, then I thought, I already _have_ a lot of character." She paused, frowning curiously. "Is it possible to have _too_ much character?"

Chloe thought the question over seriously before shaking her head. "No, I don't, actually."

Cordelia smiled. "Me neither." She leaned against the seat. "So, how was _your_ summer, Chloe? Where did you go again? Was it any fun? Did you see any cute boys?"

And she _actually_ waited to hear.

Cordelia usually didn't care about anything but herself, and yet she seemed genuinely curious and interested.

"Well, I went back to Smallville like during Spring Break, and I stayed with my friend, and there might have been a vampire or two but it was still fun." Chloe smiled. "I'm just glad that I'm back here though."

"Well, if _I_ had a hunk of a boyfriend like _Angel_ I would have too." Cordelia grinned, before looking away. "So…how's Dean doing?"

Chloe wondered why those two preferred to be so stubborn and not just _get together_ for crying out loud.

"I don't know." The blonde admitted truthfully. "I just got back but from what I've been seeing, things don't look too good."

Cordelia sighed, leaning forwards against the table. "That's what I thought when I saw him yesterday and today. He looks like he hasn't had much sleep and…" she looked up at Chloe. "Okay, I don't want to be spreading his news anywhere, but you're different, you're close to him and maybe you could help."

Chloe frowned, leaning closer to her. "What do you mean?"

"It's---it's their _dad_." Cordelia whispered, leaning even _closer_ so that their faces were almost touching. "During the time that I dated Dean the man _freaked_ me out. He's a total _sleaze ball_ and I _know_ that he used to hit them whenever he got in his moods."

"I know." Chloe growled as she remembered the bruise on Sam's face that time. "But at least they've started defending themselves and standing up to him."

"It's not just that." Cordelia looked around her nervously before continuing. "One night I was sneaking to the house and I---I _saw_ him. I mean, he drove home early from one of his 'business trip'" she 'air quoted' for emphasis "and he got out of the car and I saw inside. There were all these _guns_ and _knives_."

Chloe's eyes widened. "_What_?"

"And they had _blood_ all over them." Cordelia whimpered at the memory, shivering even, clearly shaken. "He caught me and threw me up against the car, this huge bloody _machete_ against my _neck_." Her hands went to her neck and gulped, lost in the memory. "He told me that if I _ever_ told anyone what I'd seen that he knew where I lived, and that if I knew what was best for everyone that I'd stop seeing Dean and not have any contact with him."

Suddenly everything about Cordelia's conflicting reactions to Dean were making sense.

"I broke up with Dean the next day." Cordelia whispered, wiping at a stray tear, before leaning back in her seat. "It hurt me so bad because I loved him so _much_, but I was so _scared_ Chloe, and sometimes I'm so _ashamed_ of myself for having done it but I---."

Chloe got out of her chair and hugged the girl.

Cordelia stiffened in surprise, obviously not used to people touching her, before she broke down and hugged Chloe tightly, crying all the tears of embarrassment and shame and fear that she'd been holding deep within her for so long.

"_Help him_." She begged, hold onto Chloe desperately. "I couldn't, but its getting worse and I know he's going to hurt them somehow, I just feel it! I---_Please_."

"I'll do everything in my power." Chloe promised.

"He'll kill me." Cordelia whimpered, scared. "He told me that if I told anyone he'd _kill_ me and now he's going to _kill_ me but I need you to help Dean! I--."

And then there was only crying.

Chloe held Cordelia tighter.

Neither girl realizing that when Dean had seen Cordelia heading towards the library he'd followed and hidden outside to be able to hear her without being seen, and now stood frozen in shock and horror outside the library doors.

* * *

For some reason the Bronze was kinda _weird_.

Dean kept looking all around the room, nearly getting up from the table every time he saw a pretty brunette girl enter the building, only to sit back down with disappointment and growing anxiety.

Chloe wondered if he was waiting for Cordelia.

The brunette _had_ told her that she wouldn't miss Ciba Matto for the world and planned on being there from early, but hadn't arrived as yet.

Buffy was chatting happily with Amy since Sam, for some odd reason, was kinda ignoring her.

That, coupled with her worry for Angel on his patrol/stealth mission, annoyed Chloe slightly.

What exactly was Sam's game?

She knew he was super intelligent.

So he should _know_ that he should shower the girl he had a crush on with as much interest as possible as to give her a clue as to what his true feelings for her were. He needed to _show_ Amy that he wasn't just interested in her as a friend, so he needed to catch her attention and keep it, talk to her, offer to get her something to drink or eat…ask her to _dance_…

_Men are just so USELESS when it comes to romance_!

"You wanna dance?" Sam asked.

Chloe turned, glad to see that Sam was taking the initiative, when she realized that Amy was giggling at something Buffy was saying, not even registering what Sam had said. She turned to Sam to sympathize with him when she realized he was looking at her nervously and kinda expectantly. "_Me_?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you." He cleared his throat. "You, uh, kinda look a little nervous, so I thought it'd help you, you know, keep your mind off of whatever _Angel_ was doing right about now."

She smiled. "Why are you always so sweet and considerate?" She shook her head. "You're such a great friend."

Sam's smile dampened slightly before brightening again. "So, is that a yes?"

She sent a look in Amy's direction, seeing her busy with Buffy, and then nodded. "Sure. Why not?"

Sam led her out to the dance floor and Chloe laughed as they danced to the rapid beat. She'd only really planned on dancing one dance, but then one turned into another and another, until they were slow dancing. Chloe smiled as they swayed slowly side to side.

Like Angel, Sam made her feel safe, one of the reasons she usually gravitated towards him in their little group. His relationship with her reminded her somewhat of her relationship with Clark, except there was no past/present unrequited love in the way to make things awkward and tense between them.

She was about to comment on that when Chloe suddenly felt something curling in her stomach in feral recognition.

Tensing, Chloe's gaze went to the dancers and she saw a platinum blonde head leaving the Bronze, wearing a long black leather duster. "Um, Sam, I'll be right back." Not knowing why she felt the need to follow, Chloe gave Sam a quick smile before hurrying out of the Bronze after the anonymous figure.

In the cool night air, Chloe looked back and forth in the darkness, trying to figure out where the stranger had disappeared to.

A sound to her right caused her to turn and run in that direction, not even stopping to realize that she'd left her bag with her stake on the table.

Chloe was a creature of instinct, had always been, even while in Smallville and still cherishing her dream of working at the Daily Planet, so she didn't really question this need. She followed the direction she thought the male had disappeared to, not sure _why_ she needed to, and stopped when she smelt cigarette smoke in the air.

Sniffing, she looked towards the cemetery when she heard furious whispering.

Frowning, Chloe looked around her before sneaking into the cemetery, crouching behind some bushes as she inched towards the sounds.

A hand came down on her shoulder and another around her mouth, muffling her scream.

"_Shhh_."

Swearing to _kill_ Sam later for nearly giving her that heart attack, Chloe settled for giving him an angry glare before they both turned their attention to the grand tree at the center of the cemetery.

The marker of the Master's grave.

There were at least twenty vampires around the grave, shovels stabbing into the dirt as they dug.

A black vampire stood next to the Anointed one, a small boy with black hair.

The black vampire turned to two others who were without shovels, watching. "Don't just stand there. Dig! We have to hurry!"

The two vampires got on their knees and began to dig using their hands, the ground burning them.

"The ground is consecrated!" One cried out. "It burns!"

The Anointed one sneered down uncaringly. "_Dig_."

The two vampires continued digging by hand. The grave was shallow, and they soon unearthed the Master's skull.

Sam tensed as the skull was raised, rejoicing coming from the vampires.

Chloe reached out and grabbed his hand, urging him to stay down, trying to tell him without words that they were out numbered and didn't stand a chance against those vampires. The only thing they could do was stay hidden and go tell the others what had happened.

"_Dig_." The Anointed ordered, holding the skull in the air as a sort of incentive.

The vampires all threw themselves more arduously into their work.

When their attention was on the work at hand, the Anointed turned his head toward the bushes where they hid, and Chloe's eyes widened as they connected with his.

He knew she was there.

The Anointed smirked at her and returned his attention to the digging, not revealing their presence to the vampires.

Confused, Chloe motioned to Sam that it was time for them to leave, and silently they managed to do so, running back to the Bronze as fast as they could.

* * *

They'd hurried to the Bronze, told Buffy and Dean while Amy was in the bathroom, and then Buffy had called Giles as the teenagers hurried back to the cemetery only to find it empty, the Master's remains gone. The Watcher had told them that there was nothing they could do for now. He'd mentioned never hearing of a successful revivification ritual, but that didn't help them feel any better.

In fact, Chloe was sure that none of them had slept the whole night if everyone's restlessness and the dark bags under their eyes the next day had anything to say about it. She barely managed to pay attention in school, and when the bell had rung they'd shown their first sign of life, rushing to the library, where Giles had been waiting on them.

"Did you tell Angel?" The Watcher asked Chloe.

"Yeah, the moment he came over last night." Chloe nodded. "He said that he'd never heard of a successful revivification either, but that it would make sense. He'll be here as soon as---."

"I'm here." Angel appeared through the back of the library, having made his way in from the sewers through the basement and up through the backroom and the stacks.

"Oh, Angel, so good to have you here." Giles announced, turning to him. "I fear I know horrendously _little_ about this."

"I don't think I know more than you, Rupert." Angel sighed, going to stand behind Chloe's seat. "I _do_ know though, that in the time I've been alive, that there's never been a successful revivification. There have been several attempts, but none that actually worked."

"But none were done on a Hellmouth, right?" Dean asked.

Angel nodded his agreement.

"Well, everything's different here." Sam spoke up, eyes on Giles. "If it's going to work, it _will_ work here."

Buffy frowned. "Other than the bones, what's needed for this reviving thingy?"

Giles ran his hand over his hair. "I've found a badly translated copy and I'm looking for the original now, but from what I can make out, to revive the Master they need his bones and, um…the blood…this part was very unclear…the blood of the closest person---uh someone connected to the vampire."

Chloe went still in horror.

Buffy frowned. "That'd be me."

"Perhaps." Giles sighed.

"We were close. We _killed_ each other." Buffy insisted. "It really promotes togetherness."

Sam frowned, standing up. "Is there anything on when the ceremony might take…"

A rock came crashing through a window.

Angel twisted around and caught the large rock in his hands, frowning at the note wrapped around it and kept in place with a bracelet. He turned to Chloe. "Are you okay? Did you get any glass on you?"

"I'm fine." She whispered, before her eyes rested on the bracelet and widened in horror. "That's Cordelia's."

"_What_?" Dean hissed, standing up rapidly.

"She got in during her last month of summer vacation, she---she showed it to me yesterday." She reached for the note before Dean could, unfolding the paper and reading it out loud. "Come to the Bronze before it opens, or we make her a meal."

Dean didn't hesitate, storming over to the chest where Giles kept the weapons. He went over the weapons, pulling out a stake and putting it in the pocket of his hoodie and grabbed a machete.

Buffy exhaled, going to the trunk as well and pulling out her trusty crossbow.

"I don't like this." Angel frowned.

"Nor I!" Giles agreed.

"It's obviously a trap." Chloe told Dean and Buffy. "You _know_ you're playing straight into their hands."

"_Think_." Angel stressed.

"I don't _care_." Dean narrowed his eyes. "They have _Cordelia_." His gaze went to Angel. "If they had Chloe you'd do the same."

The vampire narrowed his eyes at the young mortal before growling a little and turning to Chloe. "You, Sam and Giles stay here and try translate that passage better."

She nodded, looking up into his face. "Take care of yourself."

He nodded, before reaching down to claim her lips with his before turning to the others and motioning with his chin for them to leave.

Chloe watched them go before turning to Giles and Sam. "Well, come on then! Let's get to work!"

They poured over the different manuscripts in the library, trying to find the original, and once they did Sam and Chloe sat down and felt kinda useless as they waited for Giles to translate it…which was taking a while.

Sighing, Chloe went to the bathroom. She washed her face and looked at her reflection in the mirror, unable to believe that this was only the second day back and _already_ they were dealing with a crisis.

Her gaze was on her reflection, wondering how the others were doing, when suddenly there was a force in the back of her head, pushing it forwards violently against the glass, causing the glass to break on impact.

Her head erupted in pain and Chloe was disoriented, gaze fuzzy and ears buzzing. She would have collapsed if cold, strong arms hadn't caught her, pulling her up into her attacker's arms.

"Sorry 'bout that, luv," a British voice she felt familiar for some reason announced as the smell of cigarette smoke hung to his clothes. "But my princess was adamant that you were not to be touched by those blokes out there, and what my princess wants she gets."

Wishing that her vision wasn't swirling and she could see more than platinum blonde hair, white skin, and a black duster, Chloe fought to stay conscious.

He chuckled, as if amused with her struggle. "Got spirit in ya, luv, gotta give you that." He moved her out of the bathroom, the sounds of snarls and hissing coming from the library, as well as the sound of Giles and Sam…

_No!_

But she could barely keep her eyes open, the blow to her head…

"Who the hell are _you_?" A voice snarled behind them.

The one holding her sighed in annoyance before turning towards the voice. "Let it go, mate. You don't wanna pick a fight with me."

"The girl's ours." The vampire hissed.

Letting out _another_ sound of annoyance, the one holding her put her down gently on the ground, her vision still blurry. The one with the platinum blonde hair stayed there, facing the vampire, and waited as it charged him.

He moved at the last second possible and twirled, slamming his fist into the back of the vampire's head as he passed by. The rest was a blur of black as Chloe's eyes slid closed.

* * *

Buffy and Angel hurried towards the library, injured and sore, yet not caring as they flung open the doors and stopped short when they saw the place was in shambles.

Hearing a groan from behind the table, which had been tipped over onto its side, Buffy hurried towards it. "_Giles_!" She knelt down in front of the bloodied Watcher as he slowly sat up, hand to his head. "What happened here?"

"_Chloe_?" Angel looked around frantically around and under the thrown down bookshelves and stacks.

"Vampires." Giles responded, wincing as she pulled his hand from his head so she could get a better look at the gash on his forehead. "It was an ambush."

"_Chloe!_"

Buffy looked around. "Where's Chloe and Sam?"

"They---took Sam." Giles let the Slayer help him up.

"Did they take Chloe?" Angel asked, coming up to them.

"I—I don't know." Giles responded truthfully. "She went to the bathroom before they attacked---."

Angel was gone in an instance.

Buffy turned to Giles and looked at him seriously. "Not that you won't find me ecstatic about this, but why did they take Sam and not you?"

"The translation in the copy was wrong." Giles leaned against the wall. "The ritual doesn't need someone who was _connected_ to the Master, it needs the people who were _physically_ close to him when he, uh, _died_."

"Now it makes sense that they only took Dean from us when they ambushed us at the Bronze." Buffy announced, running her hand over her hair. "Cordelia, Dean, Sam…they must have Ms. Calendar as well."

"Her blood's in the bathroom." Angel returned, vampire face on in his fury and desperation. "Chloe was taken."

"That doesn't make any sense." Giles frowned. "She wasn't there when the Master was killed. She was outside with us. They should have left her alone."

"Unless they found out about her blood." Angel growled, reminding everyone of the reason _why_ they'd kept her super healing

"We need to find out where they have everyone." Buffy frowned, looking around the room, eyes narrowed, before turning to Angel. "Did you ever figure out where they were meeting? The Anointed One's people?"

He nodded.

She drew in a deep breath. "That's as good a place as ever. Let's lock and load people."

* * *

When they'd made it to the warehouse they'd found Sam, Dean, Jenny and Cordelia chained up, hanging upside and unconscious above the Master's bones---the ritual about to begin as a black vampire held up a Kuhkri to slit their throats and bleed their blood on top of the Master's remains.

Buffy and Angel had thrown themselves into the fight, furious, while Giles seized the opportunity to climb the ladder to the platform above to get the others off of the conveyer they were chained from.

Angel's desperation at not knowing where Chloe was, and anger at the memory of the scent of her blood fueled his fighting, and it was vicious and scary. The Watcher and Slayer were relieved that he was fighting on their side, and Buffy shivered slightly at the thought of ever having to go up against him in battle.

Giles managed to get those chained up to safety onto the platform and went about waking them as best as he could, looking for something to break the chains around their ankles.

Between Buffy and Angel they'd managed to slay all the vampires in the warehouse except the Anointed, who'd escaped during the fighting.

When the fighting was done Angel disappeared to search the warehouse for Chloe while Buffy bent down and picked up a sledgehammer one of the vampires had been fighting with. She slowly walked over to the Master's skeleton and looked at it for a moment before swinging the hammer back behind her and arcing it directly into the Master's skull, shattering it to pieces.

She kept pounding and pounding at the skeleton over and over again until there was nothing left on the table except crushed bones. Only _then_ did she stop, dropping the sledgehammer to the floor.

Buffy sneered at the crushed bone as the wind blew it away. "Now _stay_ dead!"

Giles and the others, now awake, stepped down from the platform.

Angel reappeared, looking desperate. "She's not here."

"Who's not here?" Sam looked around him, eyes widening. "Where's Chloe?"

* * *

He leaned against the tree, looking down at the unconscious body of the nameless girl Dru had had him rescue and bring to her. He didn't know who she was, what she was doing, who the men in the school had been or why the other vampires had wanted them, and her, so badly.

All he knew was that Dru was ill, very weak. They'd been attacked in Prague and she'd barely made it out alive. He felt guilty for that. She'd tried to warn him in her own way and he hadn't understood it, so when she'd told him she'd wanted to come here he had.

When he'd touched that invisible heartbeat in Prague, he had thought for a moment that he truly _was_ feeling the heartbeat of hell, but hell wasn't a teenaged girl. And she was a girl.

A pretty one, no doubt, and there was something about her that drew him to her, but she wasn't _hell_.

He'd scoped her out at the Bronze the night before, just trying to get an idea of what exactly she was, and why whatever it was that radiated from her seemed to block out everyone else around her.

When Dru had started screaming about 'unworthies' touching what by right wasn't _theirs_ he'd gone to find the wench that had his princess in a fit. But while Dru had given him instructions to where to find the girl, he really hadn't needed them.

As soon as he'd gotten onto the school campus he'd _felt_ her, it was as if she radiated an energy that _called_ to his demon, that whispered dark seductive words in its head and lured it towards her. She'd been easy to sneak up on and knock out (had been quite disappointing actually) and he'd brought her to his classic 1958 Dodge Desoto FireFlite, where Dru was waiting, singing to Miss Edith and the rest of her dollies.

He'd planned on going straight to see the Annoying One---_Anointed One_---the moment he'd arrived in town, get Dru comfy, but the vampiress had only had the desire to know that her 'hell' was really there, and then to _rescue_ her.

So now they rested up on the hill overlooking Sunnydale, the blonde waif sleeping on the grass, bathing in the moonlight, and Dru giggling as she sat next to her, placing flowers in her hair and chattering to Miss Edith about things he couldn't rightly understand.

"Baby," he pushed away from the tree. "You made me go in and get her. Please just _eat_ her already."

Dru looked up at him angrily and horrified.

He was shocked, to say the least.

"Naughty naughty, Spikey." She wagged her finger angrily at him. "To bite without permission is to _die_."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "_Wot_?"

"I spy with my little eye, marks unseen of those who've been…_naughty._" She chanted eerily, running a pale finger down one side of the girl's throat. "Grandmother." Down the other neck. "_Master_." She looked up at Spike and pouted. "They didn't have permission…they didn't _ask_…they grew strong…but it didn't last."

Walking towards Dru, Spike bent on his knees over the sleeping girl. "You're telling me that this bird's blood will _kill_ you if you drink it without permission? That---that it killed _Darla_ and the bloody _Master_?"

Dru nodded her head. "Slow them down it did, first strong in might, then died in fight. But if left to their own device, they still would have died in seven nights."

"Dead in a week?" Spike blinked, shocked. "What the bloody hell kinda blood does this bird _have_?"

"Not _blood_, my sweet. Sulfer and magic and darkness run through the veins and pump through the heart!" Dru grinned brightly, lying down next to the girl on the grass, snuggling up to her. "She's so _warm_, my dark knight. I always _knew_ hell would be warm." She giggled like a happy child.

Spike watched her curiously.

He'd never seen Dru take to anything like she had this bird.

He looked down at the human, thoughtfully.

Well, she _was_ kinda cute.

Maybe they could keep her.

Dru always _had_ wanted a puppy.

"Blood, Spikey. _Blood_." Dru sang.

He looked up and nodded.

She was weak, she needed blood.

The vampire sliced a cut through his wrist and offered it to her over the girl.

"Not _me_ silly sweet. _Her_." Dru giggled.

Spike paused. "The bird?"

"_She is hell_!" Dru insisted, sitting up once more.

"Hell…" He nodded, slowly, curiously. "You want me to feed…_hell_…my blood? You want me to _sire_ her?"

"_No_!" Dru was looking annoyed with him. "The awakening is happening on its own, give it strength so the stars can see her better! To help her burn the icky wrongness."

Not sure what she was talking about, Spike hesitated a second before lowering his bleeding wrist to the girl's lips and forcing her mouth open, watching as his blood dripped inside until the slice closed up on its own.

Dru leaned over the girl's face, whispering words in a language he didn't know.

The girl's eyes flew open unseeingly, the pupils bleeding midnight black until there was no other color in those orbs. Black began to pump through her veins, showing through her skin, her fingernails changing to black as well as her lips. And then in a blink of the eye she was normal again, all the black bleeding out of her eyes and fading from her veins and nails.

She looked as she had moments ago.

"That was…bloody interesting."

Dru giggled, clapping her hands together. "We must return her, Spike. She mustn't know. Until the stars tell her so and she's burnt it all away."

Spike frowned. "You want to bloody _return_ her to the school?"

She smiled at him.

Spike groaned, unable to go against that smile. "Alright, alright. We'll take the bloody bi---_hell_. We'll take your precious pet back to where I took her from and then we're going to find a place to hide from the daylight. It's almost dawn."

Dru giggled and nodded, accepting his helping hand as they both stood and then he bent and picked up the girl, giving her a sniff, wondering why she didn't exactly _smell_ human.

Then there was this thing about her killer blood.

And what exactly had his dark princess _done_ to her?

Spike frowned as he walked back to the De Soto and Dru followed, the male wondering what exactly they'd gotten themselves into.

* * *

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, or Supernatural.

**A/N: In MY 'Verse. Angel doesn't HAVE a "Happiness Clause"...since I hated that clause and found it stupid. I mean, I have Angelus more at the surface, but it's not a clause or anything. Just..uh...read it, you'll understand.**

* * *

Pacing in his apartment, awake despite being tired from the intense patrolling the night before, Angel felt like tearing something apart.

Angelus, in his cage, wasn't far behind him, both the soul and the demon worried and annoyed and anxious.

The incident with the Master's remains had happened a couple of nights before, and even though when Angel had returned to the library with the others, desperate trying to figure out what had happened to Chloe they'd found her hidden in the gym bathroom, unconscious, under the showers…Angel knew she hadn't been there before.

Everyone was sure that she must have escaped her captors and somehow collapsed in the showers.

Angel knew...he _knew_...that that wasn't so.

She hadn't been in the school.

And then she _had_ been.

Which meant that someone had taken her and brought her back.

Which meant that there was a plan.

Which meant...well...it didn't exactly take a genius to know what it meant.

And then of course there was the fact that Chloe was acting strangely.

It wasn't anything obvious, but no one knew Chloe better than Angel. He prided himself in knowing her every gesture, her every quirk, and something was different. She was quieter, a little more introverted, seeming to lose herself in thought at the oddest of times.

And then there was the sex.

Sweet Lucifer.

Sex with Chloe had always been an amazing adventure.

She might have been shy and inexperienced when they'd started, but she'd learnt quickly, becoming quite the vixen in bed that had learnt not only how to work Angel's body against him, bringing him to the highest heights of pleasure as none other ever had, but she'd also learnt to enjoy sating every single one of Angelus' darker needs. Every time Angel feared he might have crossed the line, that Angelus might have been too close to the surface as he was deep within her---Chloe would just arch and call his name, begging for more, so vocal on how much she loved it, needed it, wanted _more_.

Angel clenched his fists and felt a growl in his throat as he remembered the last couple of nights.

The sex...the sex had been unlike anything they'd ever had.

And Angel had loved it...except...except it mightn't have been _him_ the whole time.

The vampire ran a hand over his hair in frustration as he sat down on the bed.

There were times...times when he'd sensed Angelus free, as if just _being_ in Chloe, feeling her all wet and warm and around him, was the key to Angelus' cage.

He'd been rougher, fiercer with her, and she'd just _cum_.

And yet it _hadn't_ been him.

It'd been _Angelus_.

Angelus, who was back in his cage the moment Angel pulled out.

Angelus, who was horny and aggressive and impatient to be inside of her once again.

Angelus, who was _worried_ about Chloe too.

Just like Angel.

Oh, Angelus enjoyed the darker side to Chloe, but he didn't enjoy the fact that someone might have done something to her during those hours she was missing.

Angelus thought of someone else touching Chloe and he rattled at the cage so much more violently than he ever had.

Angel had enough problems keeping Angelus in control when it came to Rupert, Dean, Sam...and even _Gabe_. But he especially had problems when it came to Sam Winchester. Both the soul and the demon knew that the boy loved their girl, and that she loved him too, maybe not in the way that she loved Angel, but she had a special love for Sam that was different than the one she had for all of her friends.

Angel knew that if he hadn't finally given into his baser desires and made her his, that she would have become Sam's.

And the thought made both the soul and the demon a little _vicious_.

Angel had finally gone to Rupert about the situation, and the Watcher (while embarrassed and cleaning his glasses frantically) had promised him to look into the situation.

Hearing his cellular ring, Angel went towards it and smiled when he saw Chloe's name flashing on the screen.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" He smiled, answering.

"I'm _so _not feeling the love."

He chuckled at the sound of her pout. "Honey, if you're still not _feeling_ it after last night I don't think I did as good as I thought I did."

There was a pause. "No _fair_...now I'm horny again."

Angelus snarled for Angel to tell her to meet him in the school basement so he could give her the remedy to that easily curable ailment.

Angel cleared his throat, pants growing slightly uncomfortable. "Play nice."

"Never." She promised saucily before sighing. "I actually called because I'll be late tonight. Snyder has this little match going on between Sheila and Buffy. He says they are the two worst students here and one of them is going to be expelled...and it's all determined by Thursday night's Parent-Teacher meet-up thingy. He put Buffy and Sheila in charge of the event. They only have three days to prepare the refreshments, make the banners and transform the school lounge into a 'habitable place for adults'." She sighed. "We're not supposed to be helping her, but everyone knows Sheila will duck out of her responsibilities, so the gang has decided to have a look-out for Snyder and the others will help Buffy."

"The Slayer's lucky to have you all." Angel replied. "No other Slayer has ever had the support she has. I hope she appreciates that."

"I'm sure she does." Chloe sounded like she was smiling. "Thanks for being so understanding, Angel."

On the contrary, Angelus was jealous as hell...and Angel sometimes had to fight being resentful as well.

It was in a vampire's personality to be possessive, Angelus especially.

But Angel wouldn't do that to Chloe. "No problem."

"Love you, but I gotta go!" And with that, she hung up.

Angel sighed, pulling the phone away and looking at it.

This was a blessing in disguise.

Now he had time to try and figure out just what was going on.

* * *

The sun was down when Spike snuck into the warehouse that was said to be the Anointed One's hideout. He had to admit that it was disappointing how easy it was to do so. He'd left Drusilla in the car, and gone inside himself to check out the place and the vampires within.

Considering that not even the _Annoying One_ had sensed his presence, the vampire wasn't very impressed.

"The Master is dead." A vampire was saying. "Someone has to take his place."

"As long as the Slayer's alive, whoever takes his place will be sharing his grave." Yet another said.

"Then let the one who kills her wear his mantle." The first said.

"Can you do it?" A young boy sitting high above them asked.

"Yes." The first vampires turned to whom Spike decided was the Annoying One. "This weekend, the night of St. Vigeous, our power shall be at its peak. When I kill her it will be the greatest event since the crucifixion." He drew himself straighter. "And I should know. I was there."

Spike couldn't hold it anymore.

He laughed as he emerged from the shadows. "_You_ were _there_?" He chuckled, drawing everyone's surprised attention on him. "Oh please! If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there it would have been like _Woodstock_."

The vampire narrowed his eyes at him. "I oughta rip your throat out."

Spike turned his back on him and strolled languidly away, show just _how much_ that threat didn't affect him. "I was actually at Woodstock. That was a weird gig. I fed off a flowerperson and spent the next six hours watching my hand move."

The first vampire, obviously enraged at Spike's indifference to his threat, rushed him from behind.

Spike swung his fist up without even looking, hitting the vampire in the face and knocking him down and out before turning to the others. "So. Who do you kill for fun around here?"

"Who are you?" The Annoying One asked, intrigued.

"Spike." He answered. "You're that Anointed guy. I read about you." He looked down at his black fingernails. "You've got Slayer problems. That's a bad piece of luck. Do you know what I find works real good with Slayers? _Killing them_."

"Can you?" The Annoying One wanted to know.

"A lot faster than Nancy-boy there." Spike sneered at the vampire he'd knocked out. "Yeah, I did a couple Slayers in my time. I don't like to brag." He stopped, unable to keep a straight face any longer. "Who am I kidding? I _love_ to brag! There was this one Slayer during the Boxer Rebellion, and..." but he paused when he sensed someone behind him. Turning his head to look, his face morphed from his true demonic self to his human guise. "Drusilla." He went towards her as his dark princess moved as if she were gliding. "You shouldn't be walking around. You're weak."

"Look at all the people." Dru answered him in her enchanting voice. "Are these nice people?"

"We're getting along." Spike shrugged.

She stared at the Annoying One curiously. "This one has power. I could feel it from the outside."

"Yeah." Spike nodded, not really impressed at all really. "He's the big noise in these parts. Anointed, and all that."

Drusilla looked at the Annoying One. "Do you like daisies? Hmm? I plant them, but they always die. Everything I put in the ground withers and dies." She looked up and off into space. "Spike? I'm cold."

He quickly pulled off his jacket and put it around her. "I've got you."

"I miss the heat, Spike." She confided. "I miss the warmth of hell."

She'd been going on like this ever since they'd taken the bird back.

That was why it'd taken him these days to be able to track down when the Annoying One was. He'd had to keep an eye out for Dru, who kept saying that she was cold and wanted 'hell' again, missed hell.

Spike had to admit that her fascination with the human was making _him_ curious.

Just what was it about that girl that drew him and Dru to her?

And why did his Dark Princess keep referring to her as _hell_?

And _what_ had Dru done to her using _his_ blood?

He turned to the Annoying One. "Me and Dru, we're movin' in. Any of you want to test who's got the biggest wrinkles 'round here...step on up." He sneered. "I'll do your Slayer for you, but you keep your flunkies from tryin' anything behind my back. Deal?"

The kid nodded.

Drusilla bowed her head down and put her hands to her temples. "I can't see her. The Slayer. I can't see." She looked back up. "It's dark where she is. Kill her. Kill her, Spike. Kill her for me?"

"It's done, baby." He reassured her.

She smiled. "Kill her for princess?"

"I'll chop her into messes." He promised, smiling back at her.

"You are my sweet." Drusilla cooed. "My little Spike."

That irked him a little.

He wasn't _little_.

He was a bloody Master in his own right.

When would she acknowledge that and everything else he'd done to be worthy of her?

He turned his attention on the kid. "So. How 'bout this Slayer? Is she tough?"

The Annoying One shared a look with one of the vampires and smirked.

* * *

"Sheila was a no-show." Dean complained as everyone helped Buffy with one of the banners. "Not that anyone here exhibits any show of surprise."

"Thanks you guys." Buffy smiled. "You're all life savers."

"One banner at a time." Chloe smiled, and then gave a shriek of laughter when Sam brushed the paintbrush over her nose. "Sam!"

He chuckled. "But you look _cute_ with a blue nose!"

She retaliated by painting his _green_.

He didn't even try to fight it, just grinning at her.

Buffy and Dean exchanged a look before the Slayer cleared her throat. "Hey Sam? Think you can help me cram some French tonight? I don't want Mr. DeJean telling my mother I'm an _imbecile_."

"Sure." Sam nodded. "I have time tonight. Do you want to do it in the library or at your place?"

"Here." Buffy answered.

Dean sniggered.

Chloe slapped him up the back of his head. "Stop having such a gutter-brain."

"He said they were going to _do_ it." Dean replied with a grin.

Chloe shook her head at him before turning to the others. "Well, you guys have fun."

"You're not staying behind?" Dean asked, surprised.

"Nah." Chloe shook her head. "I'm feeling like Bronzing tonight."

"By yourself?" Sam frowned. "That's not safe."

"She's _obviously_ going with Angel." Buffy grinned.

Sam's gaze lowered to the banner.

"Actually, he sent me a message saying he probably won't even make it to my place tonight, he's busy. So I was thinking of going solo." Chloe admitted. Lately she'd been feeling itchy, needing to get out, feeling slightly claustrophobic. Not with Angel or their relationship or her friendship with the others...but with herself. She was claustrophobic with _herself_.

And that made no sense.

Buffy growled deep and viciously.

Everyone looked up at her in surprise and followed her furious glare towards where Giles and Ms. Calendar were walking towards them.

"Buffy!" Giles looked up and saw her before turning to Jenny. "There is _nothing_ in the chronicles about an extraneous lunar cycle."

"The Order never accurately calculated the Mesopotamian Calendar." Jenny replied. "Rupert, you _got_ to read something that was published after 1066."

"Very funny." The Watcher deadpanned.

Buffy abandoned her workstation and went towards them, standing up next to Giles. "What's the up?"

"Ms. Calendar has been researching, well, uh, _surfacing_---."

"_Surfing_." Jenny corrected.

"_Surfing_," Giles amended quickly. "She's been _surfing_ on her computer and she's...well, according to her calculations this Saturday is the night of St. Vigeous."

"Let me guess." Buffy sighed. "He didn't make balloon animals."

"No." Giles agreed. "He led a crusade of, of, uh, _vampires_. They swept through Edessa, Harran, and points east."

"And they didn't leave much behind." Jenny added.

"Well," Buffy took in a deep breath. "If I survive Parent-Teacher night tomorrow, I'll see what I can do about Saturday."

Giles frowned. "You're being a tad flip, don't you think? This is serious."

"And getting kicked out of school is laughs aplenty?" The Slayer countered.

"You know what happens when you, you let your life interfere with your slaying." Giles warned, worried.

"Okay, well, if my slaying doesn't get my expelled, then I promise my banner making won't get me killed, okay?" Buffy smiled at him, somewhat amused for some reason. "Just please let me get through this week."

Giles looked a little hesitant. "This Saturday's going to need a great deal of preparation."

"We'll help." Chloe found herself volunteering, as usual.

"Yeah," Sam agreed, standing up from where he'd been sitting. "We'll whittle stakes."

"Lots of stakes." Dean sighed.

"And I'll also research stuff." Chloe decided. "There's got to be information about how this crusader guy was defeated that could be of use to us."

Dean noticed Cordelia walking by with a couple of her friends, eyeing her longingly, more longingly than usual.

Cordelia's hazel gaze rose to meet his for a second before she looked away and continued to talk to her friends as if she hadn't seen him.

Dean sighed, looking away.

Chloe frowned, looking between them before putting her hand on Dean's shoulder. "Wanna go with me to the Bronze tonight?"

The elder Winchester looked down at her in surprise before smiling. "I'd love to."

Which was how they later found themselves laughing and dancing to the music later on that night. Chloe had texted Angel to let him know her plans, before calling her father as well, and then had lost herself to the beat, enjoying spending time with Dean. They hardly had any time to spend alone, and it was interesting to spend some time with him. She knew that she was slacking up in helping him, as she'd promised Cordelia, but to be fair she had a lot of things on her plate. Anyway, she was still running that check on his father, trying to go on a hunch of hers, and didn't want to do anything until she had everything she needed in her hands.

Later Sam and Buffy joined them after finishing studying French, and the four of them had an even better time, just being teenagers and trying to forget all the impossible dangers and things they had in their lives.

A couple of times during the night, Chloe felt a little nagging feeling, of being watched, but every time she'd look around she wouldn't see anyone and just attribute it to her being paranoid.

"Where's the phone?" Someone asked loudly close to them. "I need to call the police. There's some big guy out there trying to bite somebody."

Everyone exchanged looks before everyone took off running from the dancefloor.

Chloe was behind the others though, stopping right before leaving the Bronze through the back door, turning and looking around at those dancing.

Something...that feeling was stronger.

Her eyes narrowed.

Something just didn't feel right.

Shaking her head, she turned and raced out in time to see Dean and Sam struggling away with an injured woman.

Chloe raced passed them in time to see Buffy perform a roundhouse kick to the huge vampire's face, which only made him flinch a _bit_. He swung at Buffy, but she sidestepped the blow and swung back. He grabbed the Slayer's arm, swinging her around and throwing her into a metal roll-up door. She hit it high and hard, falling to the ground, but was up again in seconds. He swung again and hit the metal door with his fist when she ducked the punch.

Chloe would have helped, but she sensed something, in the shadows, and couldn't look away from the darkness, something in her wary and yet not.

The conflict was disturbing.

Buffy punched the vampire's face again and then his chest. He got loose form her and landed a punch on her face, causing her to go spinning down to the ground, lying there, momentarily stunned.

The vampire loomed over her. "I don't need to wait for St. Vigeous. You're _mine_."

Snapped out of the trance, Chloe gave a growl as she ran and jumped onto the back of the large creature, arms hooked around his neck uncomfortably, squeezing with all her might. She held on with grunts as the vampire tried to shake her off, backing in hard into the wall of the alley, the breath rushing out of her lungs and causing her to let go, collapsing to the ground.

He turned and bent down to get her, but Chloe snarled and kicked him in the face, causing the vampire to stagger backwards.

A chuckle of amusement from the shadows that Chloe's gaze had been drawn to before cause her to look there once more.

Buffy was up on her feet once more, ferocious and pissed at having her favorite pants dirtied, and she let him know that as she let out all that fury on the vampire. Her hits were more accurate, stronger, more _painful_.

"Spike!" The vampire called out. "Gimme a hand!"

Suddenly Sam reappeared, stake in hand. "Buffy!"

The Slayer turned to him as he threw her the stake, catching it midair, she, in a smooth, swift motion, plunged it home into the vampire's chest. He didn't even have time to fall before crumbling to ashes.

Chloe hadn't noticed this though, her gaze firmly on the shadows, as they moved and shifted, a handsome man in a black leather duster, with platinum hair, impossible cheek bones, and ice blue eyes appeared slowly, clapping his hands.

Buffy looked up at him with a confused expression on her face.

"Nice work, love." The one the vampire had called _Spike_ said.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked.

Chloe couldn't understand why he looked so familiar, why he _sounded_ so familiar.

Who _was_ he?

"You'll find out Saturday." He replied easily.

"What happens on Saturday?" Buffy asked, eyes narrowed, as Dean reappeared from having taken the girl to get help.

Spike smirked. "I kill you."

Everyone was speechless, only able to watch as he disappeared into the shadows.

Chloe stood, a little shaky, unable to look away.

Buffy looked worried. "We need to talk to Giles. _Now_." She turned and hurried away, Dean and Sam following.

Chloe didn't move, unable to look away from the shadows.

Instead of following the others back she found herself moving forwards, following in the direction the Spike character had disappeared in. The shadows were dark and fierce and she was nervous, but she pressed forwards, pushing herself faster into running, looking around her, trying to find where he'd gone.

Who was he?

How did she know him?

He was obviously one of the bad guys...so it made no sense!

Reaching a fork in the road, Chloe stopped and looked around her, breathing rapidly.

Where had he gone?

Sensing something behind her she twirled around and nearly screamed.

"_Angel_?"

He stood there, looking at her worried. "What's wrong?"

"What are you doing here?" She asked, hand to her rapidly beating heart.

"You texted me telling me you'd be here." He reminded her. "I finished what I was doing early and decided to come and find you." He suddenly noticed something and frowned. "You're hurt."

"Run-in with a vampire. I'm just a little winded." She shrugged off the concern, looking around her. "Angel, there was another vampire with him. He called him _Spike_. He told Buffy he's killing her saturday. And the thing is that..." She stopped when she saw the look on her boyfriend's face. "Angel?"

"Was he blonde? Ridiculously so?" Angel asked, eyes narrowed. "Cockney accent?"

"You know him." Chloe's eyes widened.

"Go home Chloe." He suddenly growled.

"What?" She was surprised.

"Just _go home."_ He turned and left.

Chloe watched him going, surprised.

What the hell had just happened?

* * *

Angel hadn't come to her room that night, and he wasn't answering her calls either.

She was worried.

Giles nor the others were making any headway on the situation either, since there were no 'Spike' in the chronicles that fit his description, Giles wondering if maybe he hadn't gone under a different name before. And they really didn't have time since it was now the evening of the Parent-Teacher meeting, and everyone was busy, readying for tomorrow, when apparently they were in for a fight with the neo vampire crusaders, led by the mysterious Spike.

Sam checked the crossbow as Jenny walked behind him with extra pieces of wood to make stakes, and set them on the table between Cordelia and Dean, who were whittling away, pretending that they _weren't_ stealing glances at each other whenever the other wasn't looking. Jenny continued walking over behind Buffy, who was holding up a large, sharp machete, chopping the cucumber for the vegetable tray.

Giles stood, reading through one of his older books. "For three nights the unholy ones scourge themselves into a fury, um, culminating in a savage attack on the night of St. Vigeous."

No one had anything to say to that.

"Parents should be arriving in twenty minutes." Buffy began to get nervous. "Okay, so the banners are in place, the lounge is comfy...what am I forgetting?"

"Punch?" Sam asked.

"Punch." Buffy gasped. "I need punch!"

"My fingers are cramping." Cordelia complained, putting down her stake. "How long have I been doing this?"

"Three minutes." Dean didn't look up from his stake.

"So, can I go now?" Cordelia asked, standing up. "She doesn't need this many stakes. I mean, if this guy Spike is as mean as you all said, it should be over pretty quickly." Seeing Buffy looking at her, Cordelia plastered a smile on her face. "We're still all rooting for you on saturday. I'd be there for you myself if I didn't have a leg wax."

Buffy, getting more used to Cordelia and her mannerisms, even managed to smile slightly as she rolled her eyes and left the room to take the vegetable tray to the refreshment table and get the punch needed.

Mostly everyone was in the back during the Parent-Teacher get-together.

Chloe excused herself when her father rang her cellular to let her know he had arrived and was anxious to meet her teachers.

Ms. Calendar had left with Chloe, deciding she wanted to be the first to meet Gabe, leaving Cordelia, Dean, Sam and Giles in the library.

Unlike Buffy, who was nervous as hell about her mother meeting the teachers, Chloe had, like Sam, found the way to keep up her grades despite everything, and so wasn't that worried. All she wanted was for her teachers to tell her father that she was a good student and that she didn't make trouble at school, that she was _normal_. That was what her father needed to hear, that he had a _normal_ daughter and that she was safe and sound and wasn't mixed up in the 'wrong crowd'.

She knew that he'd been surprised when she'd opted not to join the Sunnydale High Newspaper staff, but she'd also known that he'd been relieved, since investigating stories for her articles was one of the things he felt had caused her to get into so much trouble.

And, well, her father needed the _illusion_ of a safe, normal daughter.

Chloe watched as her father and Jenny smiled at each other, _still_ talking and laughing despite the fact that she'd introduced them a good twenty minutes ago and he was supposed to be mingling with _all_ of her teachers.

"_In the car, __**now**_."

Chloe turned at Joyce Summer's voice, seeing mother glaring at daughter after having come back from talking with a smug looking Mr. Snyder.

Obviously, despite everything Buffy had done, the little rodent had gone and told Mrs. Summers negative things concerning her daughter.

Buffy and Chloe exchanged concerned looks before Buffy sighed and turned to start follow her mother out.

Suddenly two vampires came crashing through the window, followed by several more vampires, all storming into the room and lining up as people began to panic.

And leading the vampires, was Spike.

He smirked, seeing Buffy. "What can I say? I couldn't wait."

He attacked, but Buffy grabbed a chair and threw it at him, tripping him up, before grabbing her mother's hand and running out of the room.

The whole building was in chaos as vampires attacked the humans.

"Nobody gets out!" Spike ordered, standing up. "Especially the girl!"

"Dad!" Chloe rushed to where he and Jenny were. "C'mon!"

"What's going on?!" Gabe Sullivan asked as he and Jenny took off after Chloe as she shoved a cleaning cart into two vampires in front of them, clearing the way down the hall.

"No time to explain dad!" Chloe called behind her shoulder as she led the way down the hallway and around a corner, only to come face to face with a female vampire, vamped out and laughing.

Chloe looked around her for a weapon, but didn't find any, instead backing up a moment and taking in a deep breath. When the vampire charged her she dodged the attack and twirled around, grabbing the vampire by her hair and using it to pull her back harshly, the momentum causing the female's body to jerk and fall down on her back _hard_. Chloe then turned and kicked the vampire in the head repeatedly, knowing that it wouldn't kill the vampire, but at least render her unconscious.

She looked up when she heard a scream, seeing a vampire grab Jenny from behind and bite into her neck.

"Jenny!" Chloe screamed, rushing towards her, past her stunned, horrified father, and jumped on the vampire's back, biting _deep_ into its neck---the pain causing the vampire to scream and let go of Jenny, whom, thankfully, he hadn't had much time to drink from. Chloe held on tightly as this vampire _also_ tried to get her off, banging her backwards into the wall. Bringing her hands to his face she dug her fingers deep into his eyes, causing him to scream in agony as she bursted them.

Letting go as he collapsed to the ground, Chloe looked up at the two adults watching her with wide eyes. "HURRY UP!" She raced passed them, looking back to make sure they were following as they reached the science room. "IN!" They ran into the room, and Gabe helped his daughter maneuver a storage cabinet in front of the door as Jenny ran over to the other door and locked it just in time for the power to go off.

"Chloe?" Gabe asked, voice shaky. "What's going on? How---? What--?"

She flinched, trying to find a way to tell him this.

"Who _are_ those people and what do they want? What was wrong with their faces? Why did that one bite your teacher?" Gabe pressed when she wouldn't answer. "How did you--Chloe--you were _brutal_!"

The blonde flinched.

Brutal?

"Your daughter just saved our _lives_." Jenny surprised her by hissing, holding a hand to her wounded neck. "If she hadn't done what she had those vampires would have had us for dinner!"

"_Vampires_?" Gabe whispered, horrified.

"Dad..." Chloe tried, but couldn't find anything else to say.

"Vampires _exist_?" He continued, unable to believe this. "Here? In Sunnydale?"

"Mister Sullivan, listen to me and listen to me well." Jenny announced, firmly. "I know that you brought Chloe here for her to be safe, but like it or not your daughter has a calling. She is one of the few people who keeps people like _you and I_ safe from things that go bump in the night. She's a champion who has already helped stop an _Apocalypse_, and you're going to have to understand that you can't outrun that. No matter _where_ you take her, something is going to find her, and she's going to have to fight it, because it's her _destiny_."

Chloe looked up at Jenny in shock at those words.

She'd never thought of it that way.

"And if I were you I'd be _proud_ for having such a wonderful, selfless and brave girl for my daughter." Jenny snapped. "She's been trying to protect you all this while but _you_ need to be there for _her_ now, Mister Sullivan. _You_ need to understand what she's going through and _you_ need to be a support for her. because she's going to need it. So man up!"

Chloe smiled softly at the righteous fury of her teacher and friend.

Gabe just looked at Jenny in shock. "_Apocalypse_?"

Chloe sighed. "Dad, I know we're going to have to have a 'talk', but not right now, okay?"

He finally turned to her and nodded.

"Thanks." Taking out her phone she dialed Angel's number, praying that he'd answer her this time.

He didn't.

_Fuck_.

"Angel, it's me Chloe." She spoke to his answering machine. "I don't know what's gotten up your ass but I need you." Screaming could be heard outside of the classroom as some unlucky woman was caught and devoured. Chloe closed her eyes tightly. "Angel, Spike attacked the school, he has several vampires here and...Angel..." Someone pounded against the door, causing Jenny to scream and Gabe to hiss a curse and hurry to push his weight against the cabinet. Chloe gasped. "_Angel_!" She then dropped her phone and went to help her father put weight on the door as vampires tried to get inside, Jenny joining them.

"_Slaaayer!_" They could hear Spike's voice echoing playfully off the walls. "Here, kitty, kittyyyy. I find one of your friends first, I'm gonna suck 'em dry. And use their bones to bash your head in."

They could hear a door being kicked open.

"We need weapons." Chloe whispered, back pressed against the cabinet. "What can we find here?"

Gabe looked around him. "Nothing."

"I see a pencil!" Jenny exclaimed, diving for the object of the ground and picking it up victoriously.

"A _pencil_?" Gabe questioned, incredulously. "Against _vampires_?"

"You'd be surprised, dad." Chloe announced as she made a dash for the teacher's desk, scrummaging around the drawers before pulling out a couple of wooden pencils, grinning. "Yes!" Passing one to her father, who eyed it as if seeing a pencil for the first time, Chloe stashed the rest into her pants pocket and looked around her. "I have to get out there."

"No." Gabe shook his head. "There are too many of those things out there! They'll kill you!"

"I have to do this dad." She turned to him, determined. "I know you don't want me to get hurt, but you gotta let me do this."

He sighed and looked away.

"When I tell you to, I want you and Ms. Calendar to run out of the back door to the exit and get the hell outta here."

He looked up at her, incensed. "I'm not going to leave you here! I can help! I can---."

"Get yourself killed!" Chloe hissed. "You cant help me dad! You don't know how to fight this and Ms. Calendar is hurt. She needs help! You need to take her to the hospital! If you're here then I will be worried about you and I'll be distracted and you're going to get me killed!" She knew it was harsh, but it was the only way she could think of to get him to go.

Gabe flinched away as if she'd hit him.

Chloe sighed and turned towards the door in time to hear a scream.

The pounding against the door stopped.

And then... "Is anyone in there?"

Her head came up. "_Sam_?"

"Chloe?" She could hear the relief. "Thank God you're okay!"

"Help me get this away from the door." Chloe ordered, and her father and Jenny did as told, pulling the cabinet away from the door and opening it to see Sam, armed to the teeth, standing there.

The blonde rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly. "You're okay." She pulled away. "The others?"

"Cordelia is leading the group with Buffy's mom outside while Dean, Giles and I are trying to stake the ones we can find, but there are lots of them, Chlo." Sam said, passing her a stake.

She passed it to Jenny. "Get out of here."

Jenny nodded, pulling Gabe away.

Sam watched them go, passing her another stake and a flask of holy water. "So...your dad..."

"Let's just say we're going to have a _serious _talk about my choice in career if we survive this."

Sam winced, but didn't have much time to commiserate as a group of four vampires descended on them.

* * *

"_ANGEL!_"

Her scream was still rung in his ears as he fought his way into the school.

Demon and soul howled as one.

She needed him and he hadn't been there.

Tearing his way through his enemies, Angel realized that he hadn't been this brutal since Angelus, and yet he didn't care. He needed to get to Chloe, he needed...he knew how brutal Spike could be. Hell, he'd _taught_ him to be the way he was. _He_ was the reason Spike was the monster he was today. That was why he couldn't look Chloe in the eye, why he couldn't talk to her.

He was ashamed.

He was scared of how she'd think of him when she saw the work of his hand and knew it was his doing.

Sure, she knew of stories about Angelus, but this wasn't just words...this was a manifestation of just how fucked up someone could become under Angelus' hands and tutoring.

Spike had once been a nobleman, a soft-spoken, stammering _mommy's boy_ poet.

And look what Angelus had made him.

The massacre all around him was _his_ fault.

"CHLOE!" He screamed her name. "CHLOE!"

* * *

"_CHLOE_!"

From where she was pulling out the stake from her latest kill, Chloe looked up, heart soaring at the sound of that voice. "Angel?" She took a step forwards. "_ANGEL_!" Forgetting all about the danger around her, Chloe took off towards his voice, turning the corner in time to see him dusting two vampires around him. "_Angel_."

He looked up, game face on, eyes gold, vicious.

"_Angel_!" She didn't hesitate, running towards him and jumping into his arms. "You came!"

"Of course I did." He whispered harshly into her ear, holding her up easily, tightly. "I'm so sorry. I---."

She didn't let him finish, kissing him passionately.

She'd always criticized people in movies kissing just as chaos and destruction was going on around them, but she'd been so worried, so scared that something would happen and she'd never see him again----that she was so _relieved_ to be there with him once more.

If Angel was there she could be strong.

Angel pushed her away from him and twirled, staking the vampire that'd crept up on them, about to attack.

Chloe smiled up at him. "My Angel."

He smirked down at her. "My Lass."

Sharing identical grins, they turned and returned to the fight.

* * *

Spike got back to the complex where the vampires gathered right before the sun rose, sunlight streaming through a high window. He stood by a cage, furious, both at himself and at the bloody slayer. He'd had the advantage, he'd had everything in his favor, and yet the Slayer had managed not only to escape with her life, but she'd nearly taken his! Not only that, but all of his men had been killed...and he'd seen Angelus.

And yet, it hadn't been Angelus.

The vampire he'd always loved as a sire had been _fighting his own kind_.

Disgust and fury filled Spike as he remembered seeing the way Angelus tore through vampires viciously, savagely.

Any other creature being killed that way would have filled Spike with the hero-worship he'd alway had for the man he'd always considered his sire despite Dru having done the deed...but to see Angelus annihilating his _own kind to help humans_...

Spike slammed his fist into the cage.

What the bloody _hell_ had happened to Angelus since the Boxer Rebellion?

Since that time in the submarine during the world war?

"Spike, did she hurt you?"

He looked up, seeing Dru.

He wondered if she'd known that Angelus was here, that he...that he obviously had something to do with the bird she'd had him rescue.

Spike had seen them together, fighting like a unit.

And he knew how Dru worshipped and adored her 'daddy' to an annoying degree.

She would do _anything_ for Angelus.

"It was close." He replied, looking away, thoughts confused and conflicting, wondering whether he should tell her about Angelus or accuse her of already knowing.

Dru usually always knew _everything_ thanks to her stars and Miss Edith.

"Oh, come here." Dru cooed, pulling his head down onto her shoulder tenderly and stroking his cheek and neck.

It'd been ages since she'd done this.

Spike closed his eyes, accepting the love he so yearned for.

"A Slayer with family and friends." He sighed. "That sure as hell wasn't in the brochure."

"You'll kill her." Dru seemed sure of it. "And then we'll have a nice celebration."

"Yeah," he nodded. "A party."

"Yeah. With streamers...and songs."

He lifted his head from her shoulder. "How's the Annoying One?"

She pouted. "He doesn't wanna play."

"Figures." He scoffed. "Well, suppose I better go make nice." He walked over to where the kid was and knelt before him.

"You failed." The kid announced.

"I, uh...I offer penance." Spike tried.

"Penance?" One of the kid's right-hand vamps snarled. "You should lay down your life! Our numbers are depleted, the feast of St. Vigeous has been _ruined_ by your impatience!"

"I was rash, and if I had to do it all over again..." And once again, Spike couldn't keep a straight face, breaking out into laughter. "Who am I kidding?" He stood, sneering. "I would do it exactly the same way, only I'd do _this_..." He grabbed the kid.

"No!" The Annoying One screamed.

"First!" Spike carried Collin over to the cage, and when the kid's right-hand vamp tried to stop him Spike kicked back and knocked him out before sticking the kid in the cage and closing and locking the door.

Drusilla watched with a smile as Spike started pulling the chain, lifting thee cage up from the floor.

"From now on, we're gonna have a little less ritual..." he stopped pulling the chain. "...and a little more fun around here." He gave the chain a final pull, and the cage was lifted into the sunlight, the Annoying One screaming as the sunlight began to set him on fire.

Drusilla smiled at Spike as the scent of burnt flesh filled the warehouse.

Spike smiled back.

* * *

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville, Supernatural or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

If anyone is interested in seeing the simple lil trailer I made for this season, you can view it at my youtube account. This is the link to the Trailer for Season Two: .com/watch?v=3AUF0qhMex0

* * *

Things with her father had been awkward for the next couple of days after the whole School Invasion episode. He'd wanted to know about every single thing she'd been keeping secret from him, and she'd told him...most things. Like with everyone else, she didn't tell him about the Master's declaration that she was _his_ daughter, she would never tell her father that even if she found out it was true. Gabe Sullivan was her father in her heart, that was all that mattered, and he never had to know if it ended up being something else biologically.

Despite still being weirded out by all of this, Gabe had insisted on knowing all, and on meeting Giles, Buffy, Sam, Dean...and Angel.

What was harder than telling your father that you hunted vampires?

Telling him you were _dating_ one.

Gabe's mouth had opened and closed a couple of times when she'd told him that her boyfriend was a two hundred and forty one year old vampire, before he finally asked: "Isn't he a little _old _for you?"

Chloe hadn't known whether to laugh or wince at the question, but she'd responded that she loved Angel and his age or...vampirism...didn't change that for her. Angel loved her, he protected her, and he was someone she could see herself living with until she died.

Gabe, unable to deal with this, had phoned Jenny Calendar immediately to talk and vent, and after a couple of hours of phone conversation, had finally told Chloe that he knew better than to forbid her from seeing Angel, and instead decided that he wanted to meet him. He'd met the vampire sooner than they'd planned, when an Incan mummy had been set loose in Sunnydale and everyone had congregated in Chloe's house, Gabe having announced that if anything was happening he wanted to be informed. So he'd met the whole gang, and had taken quite a while talking with Angel in the kitchen. Neither would tell Chloe what had been said between them (something that drove her somewhat crazy) but there seemed to be an understanding between them after that, and they were quite civil with each other, Angel calling her father Gabe since Gabe thought it ridiculous for someone old enough to be his ancestor to call him "Mr. S" like the others.

When Chloe had asked Gabe later on what he'd thought about Angel, her father sighed and told her that he would like a nice, normal, _human_ boyfriend for her, but he wasn't going to stand in her way for however long this relationship with Angel lasted.

She kinda had the feeling he felt she'd outgrow the attraction, and she was happy to let him live in that delusion as long as needed.

"See?" Cordelia asked, demonstrating her 'fake' laugh. "Dr. Debi says when a man is speaking you make serious eye contact, and you really, really listen, and you laugh at everything he says." She laughed again to demonstrate said laughter.

"Are you sure about this?" Chloe asked, walking beside the brunette the next morning in school. "I mean, in theory it sounds okay, but laughing all the time at _everything_ he says?"

"It makes them feel funny." Cordelia responded.

"I just think you should be...you know..._yourself_." Chloe shrugged.

Cordelia smiled. "I _am_ wonderful."

The blonde bit back laughter at the self-assuredness the brunette eternally possessed. "And quite confident."

"Yes, well, being myself is okay with _high school_ boys, but there's really no comparison between college men and high school boys." She smiled. "Just being in this relationship makes me feel more sophisticated."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "What fraternity you said he was in again?"

"Delta Zeta Kappa." The brunette responded before clasping her hands in front of her. "So, how go things in the Angel front? How is your dad taking the news about the son-in-law with fangs?"

Chloe sighed. "Well, as good as I could hope. He hasn't forbidden me from seeing Angel, and he's okay with us being together---but he doesn't know that I'm sleeping with him."

"You'd kill him." Cordelia nodded in agreement. "I mean, your boyfriend's _dead_. It'd be hard for a father to realize just how _kinky_ his little darling is."

Chloe laughed, loving this about Cordelia. She was just so snarky and blunt.

"Well, better Angel than Spike." She paused. "Then again, other than the, you know, psychotic tendencies, he _did_ have killer cheek bones."

"You saw Spike?" Chloe asked as they entered the library, surprised. "When?"

"When I was hiding in the utilities closet." She answered. "I'd gotten up to go to the bathroom before the attack so I had to rush and hide myself there when everything went loco."

They were unable to continue their conversation as Giles and Buffy's voice reached them.

"Just because the paranormal is more normal and less...para...of late is no excuse for tardiness or letting your guard down." Giles announced as he paced the floor.

"I haven't let my guard down." Buffy defended.

"Oh, really?" The Watcher asked. "You yawned your way through weapons training last week, you, you, you, you skipped hand-to-hand entirely...Are you gonna be prepared if a demon springs up behind you and does this?" He swung his arm over her shoulder from behind, but she grabbed it and pulled it behind his back, forcing him to bend over and wince in pain.

She had a bored look on her face.

Cordelia shook her head and leaned closer to Chloe. "And yet she doesn't see why he doesn't see her like a woman."

Ever after having realized that Buffy was in love with Giles, Cordelia had warmed up slightly to the blonde...or as warm as Cordelia could get with her, which usually consisted of much 'constructive' criticism.

"Yeah, well," Giles grunted in pain, neither he nor Buffy having noticed their audience. "I'm--I'm not a demon. Which is why you should let go now."

She let go.

"Thank you." He winced, straightening up and rubbing his wrist. "When you live on top of a...a mystical convergence its only a matter of time before a fresh hell breaks loose. Now is the time that you should train more strictly, you should hunt and patrol more keenly, you should hone your skills day and night."

Buffy seemed annoyed. "And the little slice of life that still belongs to me from, I don't know, seven to seven-oh-five in the morning, can I do what I want then?"

Giles sighed. "Buffy, you think I don't know what it's like to be sixteen?"

"No." Buffy stepped towards him, frowning darkly. "I think you don't know what it's like to be _sixteen_, and a _girl_, and the _Slayer_."

He paused. "Fair enough. I don't. But you have a duty, a _purpose_, you have a commitment in life."

"But it's not the commitment I want!" She finally snapped.

Giles paused, tilting his head slightly to the right, obviously confused. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly!" Buffy threw her hands in the air.

"I'm sorry." Giles pushed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. "I feel like I'm missing out on half of this conversation."

"Tell me something _new_." Buffy grumbled as she stormed away, passed Chloe and Cordelia, snarling to herself about stupid, oblivious and pushy watchers.

Giles turned to the two newcomers. "What the blue blazes was _that_ all about?"

"No idea." Cordelia gave him an innocent smile. "Probably just her time of month."

Giles looked a little uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. "I, uh, have some books that need, something, done to them."

And he was gone.

Cordelia grinned. "It works every time. You want a guy off of your back. Mention the monthly."

Chloe grinned and shook her head.

* * *

At the end of the day, Chloe walked towards the front of the building with Sam and Dean, wondering where Buffy was, only to see her friend sitting on the railing of the stairs to the street.

"Boy, what a long day." Dean sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"And that's that you skipped three classes." Sam snorted.

"Yeah, and, of course _they_ flew by." Dean complained as they reached Buffy. "Slayer."

"Aren't you supposed to be doing your homework in the library?" Sam asked, confused, as Cordelia walked passed them and hurried down the stairs towards a fancy car parked out front.

"I'm dawdling with my friends." Buffy replied, taking Chloe's arm and hugging it petulantly.

But Chloe really wasn't paying attention, instead watching Cordelia, realizing that this must be the frat boyfriend she'd been talking about, Richard.

Cordelia pushed her sunglasses on top of her head as the driver's window lowered in the black BMW.

"_Cordelia_." Richard he smiled at her, oozing with what Chloe supposed he believed _charm_.

"Hi, Richard." Cordelia grinned saucily. "Nice car."

Dean growled from where he stood.

Chloe shot him a concerned look.

The handsome guy in the passenger's seat looked towards them, hesitating, his eyes lingering over them, before motioning to them to Richard.

Richard was busy talking to Cordelia. "So, uh, we're having a little get-together tomorrow night at the house, and it's gonna be a really special evening."

Cordelia did her fake laugh.

Richard and his friend didn't look like they got it.

Chloe winced, bringing her palm to her face.

"Excuse me?" Richard asked his girlfriend.

"Oh!" Cordelia realized that they were expecting an answer. "I would _love_ to go!"

"So," the friend motioned to them. "Who are your friends?"

"Friends?" Cordelia asked, genuinely confused, looking where he was pointing. "You mean them?"

"So, Chloe." Sam's voice brought her attention away from the others and towards him. "What'cha doing tonight? Or are you spending it with Angel?"

She sighed. "Ever since the whole Spike thing happened I've hardly seen him, actually. Apparently Spike killed the Anointed One and took over as Master of Sunnydale, and Angel is trying to find out as much about it as possible."

"What's the sitch between those two?" Buffy wanted to know. "You think they knew each other before, right? So why won't he tell you about it?"

"I don't know." Chloe admitted.

"It must be pretty bad if he doesn't want to tell you about it." Dean warned.

"I know." The blonde agreed. "But I wish he would just trust me enough to tell me. No matter what he says it's not going to make me look at him any differently."

Sam looked down at his feet, expression blank.

Chloe looked up as Cordelia appeared and grabbed both her and Buffy's hands. "Come on. Richard and his fraternity brother wanna meet you two."

"Well, I don't really wanna meet any fraternity boys." Buffy declared, but allowed herself to be towed away.

Chloe went along because she was curious to get a better look at Cordelia's newest love interest.

The brunette brought the two blonde up to the boys in the black BMW.

"Hi, sweet things. I'm Richard." He smirked at them. "And _you_ are?"

"Uninterested." Buffy made a face, folding her arms over her chest.

Chloe turned to Cordelia. "_Unimpressed_."

Cordelia's face begged for her to stay.

Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes but didn't move or say anything else.

"Since when did high school girls start playing hard to get?" Richard wanted to know.

"I think you're playing easy to resist." His passenger shook his head before smiling at them, especially Buffy. "Feel free to ignore him. I do all the time."

A small smile fought to stay away from her lips.

"I'm Tom Warner." He announced, smiling at her. "I'm a senior at Crestwood College, and I...and I just feel like a complete dolt meeting you this way, so..." he crossed his arms. "Here I stand in all my doltishness."

Buffy finally managed a genuine smile. "I'm Buffy Summers, and this is my best friend, Chloe Sullivan."

"Nice to meet you two." Tom gave them a friendly smile before returning his attention on Buffy. "Are you a senior here?"

"Junior." She shook her head, obviously warming up to him.

"Oh, me too." Tom announced. "Except that I'm a senior and I'm in college. So we have that in common, and...I major in history."

"Mm." Buffy was all-out grinning. "History stumps me. I have a hard enough time remembering what happened last week."

"No, nothing happened last week." Tom assured her. "Don't worry, I was there."

Chloe couldn't help but chuckle softly at that.

Now _this_ guy was smooth.

"So," Tom looked at both Chloe and Buffy as he spoke now. "My friend invited your friend to a party we're having this weekend."

Cordelia did her fake laugh loudly for Richard.

Chloe flinched at the sound.

"You know, actually he's not even really my friend." Tom joked, eyes only on Buffy. "I only joined the fraternity because my father and grandpa were in it before me. Y'know, it meant a lot to them. Oh, know I talk too much anyway. They're really dull parties full of really dull people, so...would you like to come and save me from a really dull fate?"

"Uh, wish I could, but I'm involved." Buffy surprised Chloe by announcing, considering the fight Buffy had just had with Giles. "He's an idiot and he needs to understand the importance of commitment, but he and I are bound by fate and destiny, and he would have died for me and me for him. And no matter _how_ adorable your dimples are or how cute your ramble was, you wouldn't go willingly to meet your sure, gruesome death for me, and that figures a lot in my reckoning."

Tom and Richard both blinked at her, not sure what to say to that.

Giles appeared out of the school, obviously looking for Buffy since she had yet to report to him in the library. "Buffy!"

She turned and saw him, smile lighting her face as she watched him pointing at his watch before walking off to the library. "Duty calls!" And with that she rushed away.

Cordelia watched her go. "Wasn't she mad at him?" She whispered to Chloe as the boys shared a look.

The blonde shrugged.

"What about you?" Tom asked Chloe.

She gave him an innocent smile. "I'd love to go, but my boyfriend would probably tear you to pieces and bathe in your blood if I did. And, the worst part about that would be the fact that I'd have to get myself dirty getting rid of your remains so that he doesn't get into trouble with the police, so that would ruin my _whole_ weekend and possibly my wardrobe. So. No thanks." And with that she left, giggling as she went.

Being the girlfriend of a vampire could be so much _fun_ at times.

* * *

Giles came out of the cage holding a sword in one hand and a stick in the other. "I'm going to attack you. A word of warning: for your own good, I won't be pulling any punches." He adopted a fighting stance.

He just looked so _cute_ when he got all deadly and serious like this.

"Ok, I've been warned." Buffy grinned right before kicking the sword out of his left hand.

Giles looked at her a bit dismayed, but quickly swung the stick at her, which she easily sidestepped, causing the end of the stick to hit the ground. Buffy then pinned his arm down and stomped on the stick, breaking it. And when he tried lunging at her, she sidestepped again, causing him to run into the table and slide across the top.

Her eyes widened. "Are you okay, Giles?"

"Yeah." Her Watcher nodded, pushing himself off of the top of the table and straightening himself out. "You're doing very well, Buffy, and I know that you think I push you too much---and maybe you're right---but I know that you have the potential to be the greatest Slayer the world will ever have...and so I push you. Because I believe in you. But sometimes, sometimes I forget that you're only sixteen, only a kid."

Buffy pouted at him. "I'm not a kid, Giles. Plus, I'm going to be seventeen soon. And after that, I'll be eighteen. I'll be _legal_."

He looked at her curiously. "Legal for what, exactly?"

"You wanna go see a movie tonight at the cinema after patrol?" Buffy instead asked, taking a step forwards. "I know you and I don't usually like the same things, but I thought we couldn't go wrong with this one. It's about a girl who finds out she's got magical powers that must be used to save the world from the ultimate evil, and her and her mentor have to work together to strengthen her for the fight."

Giles seemed interested. "This sounds intriguing. What's it called?"

Buffy's smile grew. "Uh, Invisible Magic."

"Usually I do not watch television, as I feel that it rots the brain," Giles warned her. "But this sounds like a story that could prove to have some sort of moral for you. Yes. Let us go and watch this."

Buffy grinned brightly. "Great!"

She wondered how Giles was going to react when he realized that the girl's slightly older mentor ended up being her true love.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Sam asked, noticing Dean sitting in front of his laptop, typing furiously into it.

Thankfully their father was off on one of his many business trips, and they had the house all to themselves.

"Fucking piece of junk!" Dean snapped, pushing down the lid of the laptop in fury. "Useless!"

Sam took in a deep breath to keep from telling Dean off for abusing his laptop. "What exactly were you trying to do?"

"I was _trying_ to run a search on that _creep_ who has Cordelia acting like a total _bubblehead_." Dean snapped. "The most I can find on him is his Facebook account. But I don't trust him! There's something off with the bastard. I just _know_ it."

Sam made a face. "You sure that it isn't the fact that he's going out with Cordelia and you just _want_ him to be evil so you can slay him?"

Dean glared at him. "I'm not jealous."

"I never said you were." Sam pointed out.

Dean opened his mouth, eyes furious, before he closed his mouth and sighed, fury melting away into defeat. "Please, Sammy?"

Sam sighed, looking at his brother. "What's his name?"

Dean grinned, pepping up immediately. "Richard. Richard Anderson."

Sam moved the laptop towards him and opened the lid. "The _things_ I do for this jerk."

* * *

Chloe smiled, watching as Buffy seemed to glide around the whole day.

Apparently she'd gotten Giles to go on a date with her the night before without him even realizing it, and they'd enjoyed themselves immensely. The Slayer had gotten him to take her to the movies, to get something to eat, and then they'd gone back to his place for some tea and conversation until he dropped her back home. The Watcher had no idea how he was playing into the teenager's hands, or how comfortable he seemed to be with this new position she was putting him in. Buffy was just giddy, giggling, and in a mood that was just _contagious_.

Which was why Chloe couldn't stop smiling as she watched Buffy while gathering her things to go to the next class, humming 'Love Is In The Air'.

"Chloe!"

The blonde turned towards her brunette friend as Cordelia entered the room, holding her books to her hair. "Cordy? Is something wrong?"

"I need your help and you're not allowed to refuse." Cordelia informed her, giving (the still in her own world) Buffy a raised eyebrow before shaking her head and returning her attention solely on Chloe. "The Zeta Kappas have to have a certain balance at their party, and Richard explained it all to me, but I was so busy listening that I didn't hear much."

Chloe wondered how that was even _possible_.

"Anyway," Cordelia continued. "The deal is that they need you to go. And if you don't go, I can't. And I'm talking about Richard Anderson, okay? As in Anderson Farm, Anderson Aeronautics" she became emotional. "And Anderson _Cosmetics_!" She looked ready to burst into tears. "Well, you see why I _have_ to go. Chloe. These men are _rich_. And I am _not_ being shallow. Think of all the poor people I could help with all my money!"

"Wait, I don't get this." Chloe frowned. "Why do _I_ have to go? I already told them I wasn't interested."

"No." Cordelia shook her head slowly. "You told him you were with a homicidal maniac and that you had no problems doing away with the evidence of his crimes just as long as it didn't get your _clothes_ dirty. Apparently Tom decided that made you more interesting."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Who's a homicidal maniac?" Buffy asked, finally coming out of her little world to join the others in the real one.

"Angel." Cordelia answered, never taking her gaze off of Chloe.

"_What_?!?" Buffy gasped.

"He isn't a homicidal maniac." Chloe was quick to reassure her before turning a glare on Cordelia.

"Sorry. _You_ were the one who said that." Cordelia pouted, before reaching out and grabbing Chloe's hand. "_Please_ come with me tonight! _Please_!"

"I told you. I'm with Angel. Bronzing is one thing. Being at a frat party with booze and orgies and..."

"There are going to be _orgies_?" Buffy's eyes widened.

"There aren't going to be any orgies!" Cordelia gasped.

"Angel won't like it." Chloe concluded.

"Well, do you like how Angel's been basically _hiding_ from you lately?" Cordelia wanted to know. _"_No. I think you should show him that you're a beautiful woman that he needs to keep an eye out for or he'll lose."

"He won't _lose_---."

"And he seems to know that so well!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Otherwise he wouldn't be ignoring you this way!"

Chloe frowned, kinda annoyed now that she thought about it. "You know what? You're right. I'm going."

"Yay!" Cordelia giggled, jumping up and down. "Thanks Chlo! You're the best! I'll pick you up at your home after school and take you there in my car, okay?"

"Okay." Chloe nodded and smiled, watching as the brunette rushed away, obvious excited.

"Angel's going to _kill_ you." Buffy warned her. "You know how possessive he is."

"Well, Cordelia's right." Chloe announced. "He's going to have to realize that if he has _other_ things to do, I'll find _other_ things as well!"

Buffy shook her head at her. "Well, when Giles and I went patrolling last night we found a bracelet that apparently had blood on it. Giles wanted to go study it immediately but I warned him that if he cancelled on our night alone because of it I'd run away and never do slaying again. _So_ he postponed it until this evening."

"Bracelet?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. Part of it was broken, and it was like an identification bracelet. Had the alphabets E-N-T." Buffy nodded. "He said he'd tell the boys that we're having a research session, and I was to tell you. But I'll cover for you, okay?"

"Thanks." Chloe smiled at her.

Buffy grinned. "What are friends for?"

* * *

Chloe was bored.

When she'd told her father she was going to a party where there would be normal, human guys, he'd been ecstatic, nearly _throwing_ her outside the home and at Cordelia's car when the brunette had come pick her up. He was so excited, thinking that this was a chance for her to meet someone _normal_ and maybe even get some of the normality rubbed off on her, and Chloe couldn't help but feel sorry for him. There was _no way_ that any of these stupid frat boys could ever be competition for Angel. They were all drunk and thought they were amazing and...well...if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't want to leave Cordelia here alone she would have called for someone to come and pick her up a long time ago.

She had lost count on how many drunkards had come over to hit on her since Cordelia had disappeared with Richard, but if another one tried, she was going to break his arm, steal his car, and go back home.

Or, she'd go to the school library and see how the others were doing researching the bracelet.

Deciding she'd had enough of seeing drunk and/or high idiots, Chloe got up and went to the patio, strolling out alone. It was chilly, and she rubbed her arms a bit, crossing them. She stepped on a piece of glass and looked down. There were several small pieces there and she crouched to pick one up. The blonde frowned, looking up above her and noticed the door to the balcony had been boarded up.

"You know, suicide is _not_ the preferable alternate to the party." A voice joked as Tom appeared from behind her.

Chloe stood rapidly at the sound of the voice, dropping the piece of glass in her surprise. "I don't know. Half an hour more and it might seem tempting."

He grinned, passing her one of the drinks in his hands. "Why did you accept the invitation if you were going to be this bored?"

"Because _Dick_ informed Cordelia that there was some archaic and completely unexplained frat law that somehow states that if I don't die of boredom here she doesn't get to come." Chloe informed him, annoyed. "And let me tell you something, if that is really so, then I can tell you a couple of places you can all shove that 'law' into."

Tom looked at her, intrigued, taking a sip of his drink. "You're not at all like other high school girls."

"You don't know the _half_ of it." She murmured, looking at her drink suspiciously. "Did you slip anything into this?"

He choked on his sip and burst out laughing. "Not at _all_ like any other high school girl!" He laughed, praising her as he coughed. "Most would just be glad that I was paying attention to them. For some reason, high school girls seem to think that frat boys are these sophisticated _gods_. When, really, we're just older, drunker versions of high school boys."

Well...he had _that_ right.

She tilted her head, eyeing him curiously. "So, I know the one you were interested in was Buffy, so I'm curious why you wanted me to come here so badly that Cordelia felt the need to beg."

"It's not every day a high school girl tells you something so morbid with such an innocent smile on her face." Tom replied. "It's like in one of those horror movies where the angelic babe ends up being the demon killing everyone."

"So I appealed to your morbid side." She guessed.

He nodded, taking another sip.

She took a sip of her drink as well. "Well, you don't want to delve any deeper, frat boy. You won't like it."

He just smiled at her.

* * *

In the library, Giles and Buffy were playing word games, trying to figure out what the word on the bracelet might be, while Sam and Dean pretended to be helping, but seemed to be sulking more than anything. Buffy had to admit that she was a bit annoyed with the brothers. Dean was obviously in love with Cordelia, and Sam had a crush on Chloe, and yet _neither_ did anything about their feelings and sulked when the girls got on with their lives and found people. If neither brother had made a play for, or fought for the girls, Buffy really didn't think they had the right to sulk and act like boyfriends whose girlfriends were cheating on them.

"Bent." Giles tried, continuing with their word game.

"Sent." Buffy answered, typing in the words in the computer as they were spoken.

"Rent." Sam sighed, looking out of the window.

"Lent." Dean tapped a pencil against a closed book.

"Dent." Buffy offered.

"Went." Dean scratched the back of his neck with the eraser of the pencil.

"Kent." Sam murmured, and then sat up straighter. "Kent. That's it!"

Everyone turned to look at him.

"His name is Kent?" Giles asked. "I thought this was a girl's bracelet."

"Not a _person_." Sam got up and moved to the computer, replacing Buffy in the seat. "Kent Preparatory School. Just outside of town. I _thought_ I'd seen that kind of bracelet before!"

"_Right_." Dean nodded. "I dated a girl from there some years back."

Sam nodded.

"What are you doing?" Giles wanted to know.

"Pulling up their school newspaper for the past few months." Sam responded, fingers typing rapidly. "See if there's anything about..."

Buffy, who'd been looking over his shoulder the whole while, interrupted. "A missing girl."

The most recent issue of the newsletter had a picture of a pretty redhead on the front page. The title of the article read: 'Callie Our Hearts & Prayers Are With You.'

* * *

Despite only having had that one bottle, Chloe found herself woozy, trying to steady herself against the wall. She made her way slowly towards the stairs, deciding it was time to either find Cordelia and get out, or call someone to come and pick her up. Either way she wasn't in her right mind and given the crowd around here, she doubted that it was safe to be halfway tipsy.

She made her way carefully up the stairs, trying to call for Cordelia, but she could barely whisper, much less call out.

Making it to the hallway, Chloe leaned against the wall and found herself sliding down to the ground, her muscles feeling tired and heavy.

She tried to reach for her cellular, but her eyes were closed and she was unconscious before her hands even reached her pockets.

* * *

Giles picked up the printout of the Newsletter's front page. "Callie Megan Anderson. Missing for over a week. No one's seen her, no one knows what happened to her."

"This being Sunnydale and all I guess we can rule out something good." Dean snarked.

"I agree." Buffy nodded.

"That's not all." Sam announced, eyes on the computer as more information comes up. "There were others. Brittany Oswald, junior at St. Michael's, disappeared a year ago. So did Kelly Percell, sophomore at Grant."

"A year." Dean narrowed his eyes.

"Almost to the day." Sam nodded.

"An anniversary, perhaps?" Giles changed a guess. "Or maybe some other event significant to the killer?"

"Killer." Buffy shook her head. "_Great_."

Giles turned to her, exhaling. "Where need to go to where we found the bracelet and begin our search there."

Buffy stood.

So did Dean. "Where _did_ you two find the bracelet?"

"At the cemetery." Buffy responded, pulling on her jacket. "Near the south wall."

"South wall." Dean frowned. "What's near the south wall?"

Sam suddenly stood, the chair falling back with the force of the movement. "The college...and the fraternity house."

Dean's eyes widened. "I _knew_ I didn't trust that creep!"

"Wait, I don't understand." Giles frowned, looking from one boy to the next. "A fraternity house?"

"The Zeta Beta Gamma Meta _somethings_." Dean nodded.

Buffy went pale. "Chloe's there right now."

"So is Cordelia!" Dean grabbed his jacket and raced out of the library.

Sam was right behind him.

Giles turned to Buffy, who was calling a number on her cellular. "What are you doing?"

"Calling Angel." The Slayer replied. "This might be a wild goose chase, but if the frat boys are really the ones doing this, Chloe is in danger and Angel needs to be there."

* * *

When Chloe woke up she was in a basement, shackled to the walls, alongside Cordelia and another girl, watching as Tom (who had a series of symbols carved into his chest) knelt as Richard stood behind him, using a sword to carve another one on Tom's back.

"Chloe?" Cordelia whispered. "Where are we?"

"Basement. Or cellar or something." She responded, testing the strength of her chains and grunting when she realized just how strong they were.

"What's happening?" Cordelia wanted to know in a shaky voice. "What did they do to us?"

"Drugged us." Chloe felt like an idiot for having fallen for that trick, especially since she'd been suspicious from the first.

"Why?" Cordelia whispered. "What are they gonna do to us?"

"Nothing good." Chloe replied.

"We're all going to die." The other girl replied in a teary voice.

Richard finished carving Tom's new symbol, and Tom got up, turning to the girls as two brothers helped him put on his robe.

Chloe shook her chain a bit and looked up where it was anchored, returning her glare at Tom as he looked at her.

"She's last." He announced.

"Last?" Cordelia squeaked. "For what?"

Tom walked over to the well and picked up a bag.

"Who's the first?!" Cordelia shrieked after him. "Answer me! Who's first?!"

Tom let three stones drop out of the bag and into his hands.

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Three stones. Three girls."

Cordelia was truly beginning to panic. "Chlo..."

"Stay calm." Chloe turned to her. "We've been through worse than a few fraternity boys having played dungeons and dragons one too many times. We'll get outta this."

Cordelia looked at her and nodded, remembering the Apocalypse, and taking in a _very_ deep breath.

"Such an odd girl." Tom chuckled at Chloe as he poured water over the stones.

"Why'd I ever let you talk me into coming here?" Cordelia whimpered to Chloe.

Chloe laughed.

She seriously _laughed_.

The brothers stopped and turned to look at her, some confused and some unnerved at the fact that she was _laughing_ at a time like this.

As he finished with his stone-cleansing ritual, Tom faced her, watching her in interest.

She sneered at him, despite the fact that she was getting scared.

She wasn't going to let him know she was scared.

She wasn't going to let Cor know she was scared either.

She _refused_ to.

Tom stood on the basement stairs, holding the sword. "Machida." He started.

"In his name." The robed frat brothers chanted.

"We who serve you, we who receive all that you bestow, call upon you in this holy hour."

"In this holy hour." The chant continued.

Chloe could feel the powers of the spell as it began to form.

Tom turned to walk towards Richard, holding the sword horizontally in both hands. "We have no wealth, no possession...except that which you give us."

"Except that which you give us." They chanted.

Tom placed the sword on Richard's arms. "We have no power, no place in the world...except that which you give us."

"Except that which you give us." They chanted.

Chloe narrowed her eyes, feeling the spell trying to draw power from her, as all spells seemed to try to do instinctively when performed around her, but she narrowed her eyes and blocked herself off from the power, pushing it away, causing the air around her to cackle with electricity.

Richard hugged the sword to his chest, crossing his hands over his heart.

Cordelia narrowed her eyes. "What are they, some kind of cult or something?"

"Yeah, that's what I figured." Chloe narrowed her eyes. "I'm guessing I now know why Anderson Farms, Aeronautics _and_ Cosmetics are doing so well."

Tom continued on. "It's been a year since our last offering."

Richard lowered the sword and rested the tip on the floor.

A year in which our bounty overflowed." Tom spoke out. "We come before you with fresh offerings."

"Offerings?" Cordelia squeaked. "He's talking about us?"

"Do you see anyone else chained up in here?" The third girl wanted to know.

"What's _her_ deal?" Cordelia wanted to know.

Chloe chuckled once more, lowering her head as her body trembled with her giggles.

Around her the crackling grew louder, stronger, the magic trying to feed off of her and growing violent as it found itself unable to penetrate her pores and enter within to anchor itself in her and her energy.

"Accept our offering, Dark Lord, and bless us with your power." Tom continued, concentration purely on the ritual. "Machida!"

"Machida!" Came the echo of voices.

Tom tossed the stones into the well at the center of the basement one at a time.

"What's down there?" Cordelia asked in terror.

"Come forth, and let your terrible countenance look upon your servants and their humble offering." Tom chanted. "We call you, Machida."

"In his name." The brother chanted. "Machida!"

Chloe's whole body shook with the effort to push the magic away from her.

"There's something down there and he's gonna throw us down there with it." Cordelia whimpered.

"I don't think so." Chloe shook her head, voice pained.

"No?" Cordelia turned to her, hopeful. "Well, that's good! That, that's..."

"I don't think we go to it." Chloe explained. "It comes to _us_."

All hope disappeared. "Ooooh! _No!"_

Tom looked up, awaiting Machida's arrival.

The well began to shake violently, the whole basement shaking, announcing the arrival of the creature right before it suddenly rose from the mouth of the well.

"Oh, my God." Cordelia whispered before screaming.

The other girl was screaming as well.

Chloe just looked at the creature.

It was half-man, half-snake, green and scaly. He growled as he looked at the girls.

Cordelia continued screaming at the top of her lungs.

Chloe tried yanking her chains from the ceiling despite knowing that she wasn't strong enough to do that.

"_Dean's going to come_." Cordelia closed her eyes tightly. "_Dean's going to come."_

Chloe sent her a surprised look at the faith she had in that.

Machida remained stationary and spread his arms out.

"For he shall rise from the depths, and we shall tremble before him." Tom grinned. "He who is the source of all we inherit and all we possess. Machida."

"Machida." Came the chanted echo.

"And if he is pleased with our offerings, then our fortune shall increase." Tom continued.

"Machida." The brothers chanted. "Let our fortunes increase."

"And on the tenth day of the tenth month he shall be enhungered." Tom recited. "And we shall feed him."

Machida gazed over at the girls.

"Feed him?" Cordelia echoed.

Machida raised before her.

"_FEED HIM?!?_" She shrieked.

Chloe stopped trying to break the chains, knowing it was fruitless, narrowing her eyes and trying to find any other way of escape or freedom, or at least a way to stall what was going to happen.

Machida turned to Cordelia, closing in on her as the brunette screamed in horror.

"Hey reptile boy!" Chloe screamed, getting his attention.

"No woman speaks to him!" Tom hissed from where he was standing.

"Yeah." She sneered, looking the half-snake. "I can see _why_. Gotta be _hell_ getting a date when he looks like that."

"I told you to _shut up_!" Tom snarled, going to her and backhand punching her, holding his sword up high. "Speak again and I'll cut your throat."

Face throbbing, Chloe's tongue reached out and licked at the trail of blood down the corner of her mouth. Tasting the blood, she sneered at Tom. "My boyfriend is going to tear your flesh from your bones in a way that you live throughout the whole way. He'll slice through your muscles and leave you half open to be devoured by rats in the sewers beneath your parent's home."

Tom looked at her, seeming shocked at the darkness in her promise.

Two brothers unchained Cordelia and held her, when suddenly there was a huge commotion upstairs, screams echoing throughout the basement.

Everyone looked up.

Chloe laughed an admittedly dark laugh, before returning her gaze to Tom, sing-songing two words. "He's here."

Tom's eyes widened before he turned to the others. "Something's going on upstairs. Go. Go!"

Several of them rushed upstairs to see what was going on.

Chloe calculated the distance between her and Tom.

"Feed, Dark Lord!" Tom called.

Machida raised above Cordelia then moved in to take her from the brother's grip. She screamed loudly and tried to struggle, but was unable to free herself from the two large frat boys holding her prisoner to her fate.

Desperation filled Chloe's soul as she realized that the others weren't going to make it on time.

Tightening her grip on the chains, Chloe narrowed her eyes on Machida and planted her feet firmly on the ground and for the first time _tried_ to connect with the Hellmouth on _purpose_. It was quite ironic that she'd spent so many months trying to find a way to find a way to _block_ the connection, and yet now she was letting down all of her barriers, letting the energy Jenny, Angel, and even the Master himself had told her she had, flow out.

Machida stopped immediately, turning to look at Chloe in curiosity.

Tom frowned, confused.

The blonde held her ground, tightening her grip on the chains, as the creature turned towards her, forgetting all about Cordelia.

"M-Master?" Tom stammered.

Machida, lured in by the pulsating, dark energy emanating from Chloe's every pore through her connection with the Hellmouth, headed towards her, as if in a trance, and right as he closed in on her she pulled herself up by the chains and kicked him as hard in the face as she could, the unexpected blow sending the demon flying back into the bricks of his well.

"You bitch!" Tom snarled, turning to her, sword held high, readying to impale her. "I'll serve you to him in pieces!"

"Tom," Using the chains once more, Chloe hoisted herself up with a strong push and somehow was able to hook her feet on his shoulders, using the momentum to shove him headfirst into the wall. "Shut _up_ already!"

The door to the basement flew open and Buffy was the first one to appear, quickly followed by an enraged Angel, and the rest of the gang.

A battle between the fraternity, Machida, and the Scooby Gang broke out, and true to her beliefs, it was Dean who rescued Cordelia from her captors, the brunette hugging him tightly in her moment of shock before pushing way from him and slapping him, demanding to know why in the world he'd taken so _long_ to get his ass over here to save her. Machida had been killed disappointingly fast by Buffy, who'd used the sword Tom had dropped when Chloe had introduced him to the wall and rendered him unconscious, and the brothers captured, the girls let loose.

All except Chloe.

Despite the fact that everyone else was free and making their way upstairs, Chloe found herself still chained, alone, looking up at a furious Angel.

"I can't...leave you..._alone_...without you getting yourself in danger." He snarled, face still vamped out, pounding two fists on either side of her face.

"Exactly." She nodded, not at all scared. "So maybe now you'll stop hiding from me and you'll tell me what's going on. Otherwise I'll keep doing stuff like this and you won't be around to snarl at me about it after we've all, somehow, survived."

He snarled fiercer, bringing his face to hers.

"So, I'm guessing, especially with Mister Chase leading the prosecution, that those jerks are all looking at consecutive life sentences." Chloe ignored his threat. "Investigators are going to find a truckload and _more_ of girl bones down the cavern I'm sure that well leads to."

His eyes were molten, fierce gold.

"Corporations whose chairmen and founders are former Delta Zeta Kappas are going to start suffering from falling profits, IRS, raids...maybe a couple of suicides in the boardroom." She grinned. "Starve a snake, lose a fortune."

"Chloe." Angel snarled.

"Yeah?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Shut up." And with that he attacked her, mouth consuming hers as he pressed her harshly against the wall.

A horny chuckle escaped her lips as she used the chains to pull herself up and wrap her thighs around him, pulling him in closer.

Angel growled into the kiss, hand going up to caress the shackles around her wrist.

"Oh _god_! Get a _room_!" Cordelia exclaimed in horror from the top of the stairs.

She'd obviously come back to see why Angel and Chloe weren't with them, but was hurrying back.

Chloe chuckled deep in her throat while Angel grumbled in complaint.

"Angel?" She whispered as he placed one hand around her waist and used the other to break the chains, leaving the shackles around her wrists though, holding her up against him.

"Hmmm?" He murmured as she slid down his body to the ground.

"How about we install some chains in your apartment?" She whispered.

Angel's demon's eyes widened before he snarled in dark delight at the thought.

She giggled, reaching for his hand, and leading him out of the basement.

* * *

**Review?**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville, Supernatural, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

* * *

The vampire watched, hidden, in Pop's Pumpkin Patch, camera panning down form the sign over the stand past another one counting off the days until Halloween to a pumpkin on the ground aglow with a candle. The Slayer landed flat on her back on top of it, looking up at the vampire that had just thrown her, seeing him coming towards her. She grabbed a squash lying on the ground behind her and threw it at him, hitting him in the forehead. She then followed it up with a pumpkin, the vampire staggering back a few steps as she hopped back to her feet and pulled a stake out her her shirt as she launched it at him. The vampire grabbed the scarecrow and pulled it over in front of him so that the stake impaled it instead. He then shoved it aside and came at her with a roundhouse kick as they started fighting hand to hand.

'Record' light on, the vampire hidden in the foliage scanned the dark pumpkin patch, looking for the next target, in time to see the other blonde girl running through the pumpkins, two vampires behind her, chasing her and laughing. She'd lost her stake sometime before, and was now on the run, outnumbered. The blonde breathed in deeply as she ran, just a couple of steps in front of her pursuers, before throwing herself down on the ground at something and rolling onto her back, stake up in time for the closest vampire to throw itself at her and land on her stake, dusting himself. She was on her feet by the time the other one reached her, and grinned at the female vampire who snarled at her and attacked. The blonde huntress twirled on her heel, slamming her elbow harshly into the vampire's face, as if not prepared to use the stake as yet.

The 'battery low' indicator began flashing and a moment later the view became snowy.

The vampire filming took the camcorder away from his eyes, jostling it, and it started it again, zooming out since now that the two girls were closer together he could get a good view of both of them fighting.

The fight went on, and a few hits later the first vampire knocked the Slayer into a hay wagon. She held onto the side of the wagon and kicked the vampire to the ground before turning around with her back to the wagon and grabbing the railing as the vampire got back up. She raised her legs and grabbed the vampires head in a scissor hold, twisting her body and flipping him over sideways onto the ground.

The huntress dodged all of the female vampire's attacks, landing all of her own and driving the heel of her palm up the vampires chin violently, causing the vampire to scream as she bit her own tongue off, mouth filling with her own blood. The blonde kicked straight up, knocking the vampire down easily, falling down upon her, bringing her fist down harshly against her face as the vampire struggled beneath her, clawing at her skin with her fingernails.

The Slayer stepped away from the wagon, spying the sign that counted down the days to halloween, and then looked down at the vampire. He tried to grab for her legs, so she jumped over him and somersaulted to the sign, pulling it out of the ground and swinging it at his legs as he came for her, knocking them out from under him. She raised the sign and jammed the end of the signpost into his chest, the vampire bursting into ashes.

The huntress lost the struggle and found herself now beneath the furious vampire, who was trying to strangle her. The huntress sneered and brought up her leg and somehow managed to kick the back of the vampire's head, the blow disorienting the vampire so that the huntress could kick her off and take control of the situation once more, kneeling on her opponent's back with both knees, hooking the head with one arm and the legs with the other. The blonde then rolled back so that the vampire was suspended on her knees above her, facing up. The huntress them pulled down with both arms while pushing up with the knees to bend her enemy's back.

The vampire screamed in agony.

The Slayer appeared in front of her and drove the signpost through her heart, causing the vampire to scream and explode into dust.

The blonde beneath coughed, sitting up.

"You know, you're enjoying this too much." The Slayer smirked at her friend, sticking the sign into the ground in its new location before offering her hand to her friend. "You're supposed to _stake_ them, not _torture_ them."

"I've found a healthy outlet for my anger." The huntress replied, accepting the hand and standing up, brushing herself off. "It's either take it out on her or my dad."

The Slayer frowned. "He's still not too hot with the idea of you and Angel, huh?"

The huntress nodded. "I mean, he's not really hot with me and _anyone, vampire or not_. After realizing that _human boys_ were going to sacrifice me to reptile boy, well, he's decided that all males save him and Giles are dangerous to my living to my seventeenth birthday."

The Slayer shook her head. "I'm glad I'm not in your shoes."

The huntress sighed as they walked out of the pumpkin patch.

The vampire, hidden, lowered the camcorder and slowly backed away as he watched them go.

* * *

The next day at school, sign-ups were being taken for the volunteer safety program for Halloween.

Principal Snyder took one of the clipboards and looked around the hall before grabbing the next girl that walked by, pulling her aside.

"Hey!" She exclaimed.

"You're volunteering." He informed her curtly, holding out the clipboard and pen to her as Chloe, Buffy, Dean and Sam walk by.

"Snyder must be in charge of the volunteer safety program for Halloween this year." Sam announced.

"Note his interesting take on the volunteer concept." Dean snarked.

"What's the deal?" Buffy wanted to know as they reached Chloe's locker, and the blonde worked the combination.

"Oh, a bunch of little kids need people to take them trick-or-treating." Sam explained, taking Chloe's books from her and adding them to his pile, since they were heading to the same class anyway. "Sign up and you get your own pack of sugar-hyper little runts for the night."

"Yikes." Buffy made a face. "I'll stick to vampires." Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she spun around and came face to face with Snyder.

"Miss Summers." He sneered. "Just the juvenile delinquent I've been looking for."

"Principal Snyder!" She exclaimed.

"Halloween must be a big night for you. Tossing eggs, keying cars, bobbing for apples, one pathetic cry for help after another." He decided as he led her to the sign-up table. "Well, not _this_ year, missy."

Sam and Dean followed her over.

Chloe, on a hunch, stuck behind, by her locker.

"Gosh, I'd love to sign up, but I recently developed carpal tunnel syndrome," Buffy looked up at Snyder. "And can tragically no longer hold a flashlight."

Snyder held up the clipboard and pen. "The program starts at four, the children have to be back at six."

Buffy reluctantly grabbed the pen and clipboard and signed herself up.

Dean obviously thought this was hilarious and smiled at Sam, but it didn't last long when, as soon as Buffy finished signing, Snyder grabbed the clipboard and handed it to Dean.

Chloe, giggling, turned her back on them and hurried away to class before Snyder could finish forcing Sam to sign up and look around for her.

"I can't _believe_ this." Dean complained later after class. "We have to get dressed up and the whole deal?"

"Snyder said that costumes were mandatory." Sam sighed.

"Great." Buffy groaned. "I was gonna stay home and veg. The _one night_ a year things are supposed to be quiet for me."

"Halloween quiet?" Dean turned to her, surprised. "I would have thought that it's be a big old vamp scare-apalooza."

"Not according to Giles." Buffy shook her head. "He swears that tomorrow night is like, dead for the undead. They stay in."

"You know, it's not fair that we have to do this and you don't." Sam announced, turning to Chloe.

"That's true! If I have to dress up then you have to too! Best friends Rule # 9!" Buffy declared.

"Well, I _am_ dressing up." She smiled sheepishly at them. "There's this party going on at the Bronze and you have to be in costume to get it. Best costumes win too. It's couples thing, and I was thinking we could go."

"I hadn't heard about this." Dean frowned.

"Well, Cordelia told me about it. She's going with her newest fling." Chloe shrugged. "When are you and her going to get together, anyway?"

"Me and the bitch?" Dean snorted. "As if I'd want to."

Everyone shared looks.

"Well, I was thinking that Dean and Buffy could go together, and Sam and Amy could go." Chloe sent a sly look at Sam, trying to revive the matchmaking attempt she'd tried on her return from Smallville. "The six of us could have a lot of fun together."

And she still firmly believed that hours later as they congregated inside of Ethan's Costume Shop, a new place that'd recently opened up and was filled with customers.

"So you're _sure_ that's your size?" Chloe wanted to know, talking to Angel on the phone. While they had _yet_ to have the 'Spike' conversation, things between them had patched up quite nicely thanks to the chains Angel had somehow managed to install in his apartment without his landlord finding out.

"Is it not manly to admit that I'm terrified at the thought of the type of costume you might get me?" Angel asked.

"Don't worry, I won't make you look bad. You'll be going with me so if only to make myself look good I'll make sure you look as hot as ever."

He chuckled. "Why can't I just go as--oh, I don't know---a _vampire_?"

"Because you _can't_." Chloe pouted, looking through some of the males costumes. "Halloween is come as you _aren't_ night."

He sighed. "Okay. But just don't get me something like a wolfman costume."

Chloe jerked away from the furry costume she'd been fingering. "I wouldn't dream of it!"

"What are _you_ going as?" He asked, curiosity thick in his voice.

"Nope, not telling you." She grinned, looking over another costume. "How do you feel about pirates?"

"Depends." Angel mused. "Is there an eyepatch---plastic bird---or wooden leg involved?"

Chloe looked over the costume. "Not that I can find."

"Then I wouldn't be a hundred per cent against it." He decided.

She smirked. "I think you'd look hot. There's even a little sword here."

"I have a _real_ sword."

"You're going to take your _real_ sword to the Bronze?" She questioned, eyebrow raised.

"Why not?" He sounded genuinely curious.

"Nothing, no reason." She replied quickly. "So pirate it is then. I'll drop it off to your apartment and then go get ready at mine and we'll meet outside of Buffy's so we can all go together in her mom's minivan."

"Don't worry, I won't forget."

"I know, I know." She smiled, seeing Buffy. "I got to go, Buff's coming."

"Okay then. Take care of yourself."

"Never." She smiled tenderly. "Love you."

"Love you too." And with that he hung up.

Chloe sighed happily before putting away her phone and picking up the pirate suit in his size in time for Buffy to arrive. "So, what'd you get?"

"I haven't decided on anything yet." Buffy admitted, seeming nervous. "I talked to Giles and he says that as an upstanding citizen he's been asked to chaperone the party, so he's going to be there, so my costume has to be out of this _world_."

Dean appeared, a toy military rifle in his hands, as well as a pair of army fatigues. "This store _rocks_. And the prices are incredibly affordable. I thought---dad doesn't exactly leave us much spending money, but with these prices we can afford our costumes."

Chloe looked up at the mention of John Winchester, once more reminded at how she'd let that research slip away due to the chaos in her life.

She _really_ needed to check up and see what her searches had come up with!

"Where's Sam?" Buffy asked.

"He's with Amy." Dean announced, turning to Chloe. "She seems really into him."

"She does, doesn't she?" Chloe smiled. "And they'd make such a cute couple. And they both have magic in common, I mean Sam's studies Magic Theory with her sometimes, right? I think they're perfect for each other."

Dean and Buffy exchanged a look.

Chloe frowned. "What?"

Dean opened his mouth.

"I think we found our costumes." Sam announced, appearing with Amy at his side, grinning brightly. He held up a Harry Potter costume, with wand and everything, and she was holding up a female sailor outfit.

Buffy suddenly seemed to spot something, becoming distracted immediately as she started to slowly walk towards it.

Chloe followed the slayer and they walked over to a frilly, red, billow 18th-century gown.

"Wow." Buffy whispered. "It's amazing. If Giles saw me in this he wouldn't be able to see me as a little teenaged girl. He's always talking about how women should dress like this still, that these clothes made a woman so _beautiful_."

Chloe noticed Ethan, the manager, watching them intently.

"I need to get this costume." Buffy announced. "Rupert Giles would just _die_ if he saw me in it."

Chloe smiled.

"What about _your_ costume?" Buffy asked.

"I already bought it earlier." Chloe admitted. "But don't ask me what it is. I'm not telling until you all see me."

Buffy grinned. "This sounds interesting." Her smile disappeared though, when she saw the price of her costume. "I can't afford this."

"Nonsense." They turned to see Ethan standing behind them. "This is Halloween, and your friend has brought me many costumers." He smiled at Chloe. "So I will give you a discount for this."

"Really?" Buffy asked, smiling brightly at him.

He smiled back. "Every girl deserves to feel like a princess."

* * *

In his warehouse, Spike watched the video that the vampire had taken of Buffy and Chloe's fight. He sat in complete darkness, watching over and over each bit of the fight, surprised that the little 'hell' Dru kept moaning about could _fight_. Not only could she fight (which made his capturing her so easily such a surprise) but she was bloody _brutal_, _vicious_, and..well... _bloody_.

He _loved_ it.

She could have staked that last vampire a hundred times over, and yet she'd preferred going for the punches, the kicks, stretching her body, making the vampire bite her own _tongue off_ for fucks sake. If the Slayer hadn't come and staked the vampire, Spike wondered what else Chloe would have put her through.

_She'd make a helluva vampire_.

He rewound once more, remembering that he was here to study the Slayer and her moves, and he had to admit that while she lacked the sheer bloody _viciousness_ that made Chloe's fighting so _fascinating_, she was quick and resourceful and smart, thinking quickly on her feet and the decisions she made always ended up in a kill for her and one less minion for him.

"Here it comes." He watched. "Rewind that. Let's see that again."

The vampire rewound the tape as Spike strolled around to another monitor, chuckling. "She's tricky." The scene where the Slayer staked the vampire with the sign replayed. "You see that? The way she stakes him with that thing? Thats what's called resourceful." He then watched once more as Chloe performed the bow and arrow hold on the vampire. "And look at _her_ face." He leaned closer to the monitor. "She's _enjoying_ it." He stood up straight. "Rewind everything again."

Drusilla came in from the other room. "Miss Edith needs her tea."

"C'mere poodle." He held out his hand to her, not taking his eyes off of the screen as the video replayed.

"Do you love my insides?" Drusilla wanted to know as she took his hand. "The parts you can't see?"

"Eyeballs to entrails, my sweet." He promised, still not managing to look at her. "That's why I've got to study this Slayer. Once I know her I can kill her. And once I kill her you can have your run of Sunnyhell. Get strong again."

"Ah! Hell!" Drusilla cooed, noticing Chloe for the first time, hugging herself. "I miss the warmth, Spikey. It's so _cold_ being so far away."

Spike gave her an intrigued look, as he always did when she talked about this bird. "Why do you call her 'hell', baby? What's so special about her that even _Angelus_ seems to be enthralled with her?"

But the image of the Slayer came on the screen and Dru hissed. "Icky yucky Slayer!" Nose made up, she turned to Spike. "Don't worry. Everything's switching. Outside to inside." She breathed at his neck. "It makes the icky Slayer weak."

"Really?" Spike's full attention was on her now. "Did my pet have a vision?"

"Do you know what I miss?" Drusilla suddenly asked, threatening to enter one of her less lucid moments. "Leeches."

"Come on, talk to Daddy." Spike cajoled, fighting a moment's irritation. "This thing that makes the Slayer weak? When is it?"

"Tomorrow." Drusilla giggled, looking up at the ceiling and seeing things Spike knew he could never even begin to imagine.

"Tomorrow's Halloween." Spike frowned, confused. "_Nothing_ happens on Halloween."

She smiled, reaching up for something invisible. "Someone's come to change it all. Someone new."

Spike blinked, wondering what the bloody hell was going to happen.

* * *

Looking at herself in the long mirror, Chloe admired herself and snickered at the thought of everyone's reaction when they saw her tonight.

She doubted that any of them would have figured out her costume.

The blonde wouldn't have been comfortable in her sexuality to have pulled this off before coming to Smallville and meeting Angel, but now she was a changed woman, feeling herself changing more and more every day, and she couldn't help but smirk as she admitted, mentally, that she looked pretty _hot_. Her body was enclosed in a skin-tight black leather catsuit that outline her every curve, she wore black stiletto boots, black gloves, a blood red ruby necklace and her hair was up in a complicated hairstyle that'd taken her forever to master. Essentially her hair was platted in different places and they all twisted and combined with her naturally straight hair up, held in its place by two dangerous mini-dagger-looking things that she decided to call chopsticks for lack of a better word.

Chloe grinned at her reflection, a hint of fangs showing.

They were _so_ never going to guess that she was going as a vampire, and she couldn't wait to see their reactions...especially _Angel's_.

Hearing her phone ring, Chloe raced towards it and smiled when she saw the Caller ID. "Clark!"

"How's my favorite enigma?" Clark asked on the other side.

"How's my favorite alien?" She countered.

"I prefer the term _Intergalactic Traveller_." He replied before they both burst out laughing. "Happy Halloween, by the way! How's things over there?"

"Fine thanks. Sorry that I haven't been calling as much as I used to, but there's been one thing after the other." She sighed as she continued to look at herself in the mirror. "And my dad now knows what I do at night so..."

"What? Really? How did _that_ happen?" Clark wanted to know.

"Vampires attacked my school during the Parent-Teacher conference they were having and it was hard to not make him find out when I was _slaying_ them." She sighed. "He's not too happy with me _or_ my choices, and let's just say that Angel isn't exactly the son-in-law he envisioned himself having."

"I can see how that might bother him." Clark admitted. "But if you love Angel and he loves you, then that should be all that matters, right?"

"That's what I said." She told him. "But he wanted me to get a normal human guy, he wondered why I didn't end up with _you_."

There was silence before Clark bursted out with laughter. "If only he _knew!"_

"I know." She deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "But then _normal human guys_ tried to sacrifice me, and now dad kinda feels I should take a vow as a nun or something." She looked at herself in the mirror. "The poor, poor delusional man."

Clark sniggered. "Yeah. I don't think they accept incestuous necrophiliacs anyway."

"Clark!" Chloe cried out, laughing, remembering their talk in Smallville when they'd discovered each other's secrets. "_Anyway_, he---he wants to go out on _patrol _with me one night to see what I do, to be a _part_ of this whole other side of me."

"That's...kinda nice."

"Its kinda nerve-wracking. Dad can't handle the _toaster_, much less _vampires_." She sighed. "I'll be so busy worrying about _him_ that I'll end up getting us all _killed_."

"There is always that." Clark agreed.

"So, enough about me. How's life in Sunnydale? And how's Pete?"

"His parents are on the warpath. I think Judge Ross is going to divorce Mr. Ross, and Pete isn't handling it too well at all. I mean, he _pretends_ he's handling it well, but he isn't."

"Oh Clark, I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm such a bad _friend_." Chloe gasped.

"That's okay Chloe, Pete, he _knows_." Clark sighed. "He found out about me, and I told him about you, I'm sorry if you're angry at me but..."

"Wait. _Whoa_. He knows that you're and alien and about me and the Master and?"

"No! I haven't told _anyone_ anything about what you told me about the Master. You told that to _just me_, and I respect your need to keep that a secret." Clark was quick to explain. "But I told him the part where you fight vampires." He paused. "He feels cheated on the whole _powers_ thing."

Chloe smiled. "He would."

"So, you're not angry for me telling him, right?" Clark asked carefully.

"No, I should have told him a long time ago." Chloe responded. "You two are very important for me, and I know I don't show it most of the time, but I really mean it."

"We know it, Chlo." Clark was smiling, it was obvious in his voice. "And you're extremely important to us too. Don't ever forget that in your whole save the world gig. Okay?"

"Okay. You neither."

"Never."

There was a knock on the door and it opened enough for her father to peek his head in. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." She smiled. "Clark, gotta go, my dad's here."

"Okay. Have a good time."

"You too." Chloe smiled, hanging up the phone and turning to her dad. "Hey."

He looked her up and down with fatherly worry. "Honey, don't you think that's a little...are those _fangs_?"

"Plastic." She quickly reassured him, taking them off so he could see. "I decided to surprise my friends and go as a vampire."

"Did _Angel_ have a say in this?" Gabe asked slowly.

"No, actually, he has no idea what I'm going as." Chloe responded, going to look out of the window at the darkness outside. "Dad, you know, you have to try and come to terms with this. I know it's not ideal, but it's who I am."

He sighed, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm trying, Chloe. God knows I am. It's just that I lost your mother, and it scares the living daylights out of me to think that every day I could lose you too. You're the person I love most in this world and..."

She turned around and hugged him tightly. "I love you too, dad, and I understand. But you're going to have to let me grow up and make my own choices, okay? This is destiny. You can't _fight_ destiny."

"That's what Jenny says." Gabe sighed, hugging her tightly. "But why can't you, I don't know, be with someone _somewhat_ normal? Like _Sam_?"

Ever since her father had found out, Sam, Jenny and Chloe had been having their magical training at Chloe's house, and even though they really hadn't gotten off the 'theory' of magic and hadn't done any _real_ spells, they were getting stronger---the fact that Chloe had been able to keep the leeching magic of the Machida summoning spell from leaking into her was just testimony of that. Thanks to moving the location of their studies, they didn't have to worry about being caught, and also Gabe had gotten to know Sam better, and Chloe knew he liked Sam a _lot_.

"Dad, Sam and I are _just_ friends." She pulled away from him and looked up into his face. "I'm in love with Angel, and Sam likes Amy."

Gabe sighed. "He's---he's older than _me_."

It was funny how it wasn't Angel's _diet_ that bothered her father so much as his _age_.

"Dad. He's still a _baby_ in vampire terms. He's not even _three hundred_." Chloe could see that that wasn't a winning argument, but it was all she had. "And he's _always_ put my life above his own. I can't tell you how many times he's risked his life just to make sure that I am okay."

Gabe sighed. "Yes, well, he was bound to have _some_ redeeming qualities I suppose."

Chloe smiled. "You'll find more in time, I'm sure of it." Reaching up on her tiptoes she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I have to go now. The others should have finished their duties and be heading to Buffy's."

"Be careful." He called after her.

"It's Halloween." She called as she left. "_Nothing_ happens on Halloween."

Chloe took to the streets, grinning at the whistles she got as she went.

This was so _fun_.

_Janus, evoco vestram animan, Exausi meam causam. Carpe noctem pro consilio vestro, Veni, appare et nobis monstra quod est infinita potestas_. **Janus, I invoke your spirit. Hear my plea. Seize the night for your own reason. Come, appear and show to us that which in infinite power.**

Chloe's world shook along with the Hellmouth as that distorted whisper came to her on the winds from every direction, the latin words translating into her mind into English as that voice spoke.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw a woman dressed in a ghost costume pass by her with a couple of kids, going towards one of the houses, completely unaffected by the shaking or the voice.

Which mean that Chloe was the only one who could hear or feel anything.

Which meant this was a Hellmouth thing.

Which meant things were about to get ugly _fast_.

One of the kids wearing a green monster mask on his head rang the doorbell and stepped back, an elder lady answering the door as the kid pulled the mask down over his face.

"Trick or treat!" The kids called out.

"Oh, my goodness, aren't you adorable!" the elderly lady cooed.

_Persona se corpum et sanguium commutandum est. Vestra sancta praesentia concrescet viscera. Janus! Sume noctem! __**The mask transforms itself into flesh and blood. your holy presence curdles the heart. Janus! Take the night!**_

A wind began to blow around them, an _unnatural_ wind.

The old woman looked at her empty candy bucket. "Oh dear! Am I all out?"

_Show time_.

Chloe brought her hand to her head, feeling her whole body shake, a sharp pain in her throat, like when Angel's fangs would first pierce her neck.

There were screams and roars all around her that suddenly didn't sound so playful and good-natured, but Chloe didn't notice it, collapsing to her knees onto the pavement, blacking out. And when she awoke, chaos and madness reigned in the street.

The blonde slowly got up and sniffed the air, smelling the delicious scent of fear saturating the neighborhood as monsters and creatures fought each other and attacked the lowly humans.

Chloe couldn't really remember much of anything, like _how_ she'd gotten there or where exactly _there_ was, but she was glad she hadn't missed it.

Feeling something come up behind her she turned in time to see a rodent-like demon come at her, chattering its teeth at her menacingly.

"Oh, how _cute_." She giggled, not at all scared. "But _this_ is how you do it." And with that her face shifted into that of her demon and she attacked.

* * *

Cordelia looked all around her, unable to believe what was going on.

She--she couldn't believe it.

But people seemed to have turned into their _costumes_.

Then again, it wasn't _everyone_ who'd turned into their costumes, only certain people, and of that Cordelia was glad, because she would have turned into a giant _cat_. And not even _she_ would be able to pull that one off stylishly.

So lost in her thoughts, Cordelia didn't notice the creature creeping up on her until there was the sound of gunfire, and a scream of pain echoed from behind her.

She twirled in time to see a big Sasquatch fall to the ground, having been shot in the knee and hitting his head as he fell, going unconscious. Behind him...behind him was _Dean_...looking _amazing_ in fatigues, shouldering an M16. "Dean?" She asked, taking a tentative step towards him, wondering if he was normal or if...

"You know me?" He asked her, surprised.

"_Great_." She complained. "You've been whammied _too_." She looked at his getup and gun. "At least it was into something _useful_."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean asked her, eyes narrowed, harsh. "What the hell is going _on_ around here? Last thing I remember I was stationed in Irag and then _bam_, here I am."

"Okay, definitely a spell if it's given you fake memories." Cordelia decided before glaring at him. "I _hate_ you Dean Winchester. Before _you_ came into my life it was normal and _now_ I'm considering the whole _place_ getting cursed as _normal_ and finding _theories_! This _isn't_ my life!"

He looked at her oddly. "Look lady, I have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

"_Sure_, play the Amnesiac G.I. Joe card." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Listen to me, you're _not_ a soldier. You dressed up as a solider for Halloween, and Sunnydale must have gotten whammied somehow---and my awesomeness saved me from it---because all around us people just started turning into their costumes. Which means that most of these _monsters_ are probably people. Humans. So put away your gun, Magnum."

"You expect me to believe this?" He looked at her as if she was insane.

"Do you think I go around dressed as a sexy _cat_ every day?" She motioned to her getup. "_No._ Look at all the victims running around with creatures chasing them. There's a Mad Hatter, there's a centaur, there's a fairy. A six foot, two hundred pound fairy." She turned to Dean, eyes narrowed. "Any of this getting through to you, Jarhead?"

Dean frowned, really taking a good look at the chaos going on around him. "As insane as this sounds...it might be possible. I suppose."

She blew at a piece of hair in her face. "We need to find Buffy. She---." Her gaze widened when she saw Buffy, dressed in some gauche dress and with a horrible dark wig on her head. "Fashion disaster and yet fists of thunder!" She exclaimed, hurrying towards Buffy while holding onto her tail, her heels clippety clapping against the pavement as she went, Dean following behind her. "You! Slayer! What are we gonna do about this?"

Buffy looked up at her, eyes wide.

Two monsters noticed them and growled, racing towards them.

Dean shouldered his M16 and took aim. "This could be a situation."

"Buffy!" Cordelia turned to the Slayer. "_Do_ something!"

And Buffy did.

She fainted, falling to the ground.

Cordelia blinked. "_Oh-kay_. Not exactly what I had in mind."

"Catwoman..." Dean called out. "If I can't shoot them..."

She looked up in fright, realizing the predicament they were in.

But right as the creatures were about to reach them a voice called out "_Petrificus Totalus!"_ and a bright light hit them, causing both monsters to fall to the ground in a full-body bind.

Everyone turned towards where the bright light had come to see Sam standing, dressed in robes and with a lightning scar on his forehead, Amy behind him, wearing a tiny sailor outfit.

"Voldemort's gone too far this time." Sam announced in a British accent, lowering his wand and coming towards them. "Attacking muggles so openly like this? I need to get word to Dumbledore and the others but I can't see to do anything other than basic wand magic."

"I don't get what's going _on_." Amy whimpered from behind him. "Why am I not on my ship?" She looked down at her costume. "And since when did they start making the uniform this _skanky?"_

"For _once_ I'm so glad you're such a nerd, Sam!" Cordelia exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around him and giving him a huge hug, not noticing Dean giving them a glare.

Sam looked shocked. "Excuse me, miss, but I think you have me mistaken with someone else. My name is Harry Potter."

She snorted, pulling away. "_Figures_." The brunette pulled his glasses from his face despite his yelp for her to give them back. "And you're some savior of the Wizarding World whose parents were killed by Volleyfreak, who _needs_ a _serious_ makeover. I mean, I would have issues _too_ if I looked like him."

Sam narrowed his eyes at her. "How do you know this? Are you a witch?"

"_No_." She narrowed her eyes. "And neither are _you_. YOU are under a spell. _All_ of you are."

"Excuse me?" Amy asked. "Are you saying that I'm not a naval officer?"

Cordelia sneered. "Oh _please_, you couldn't even make _cheerleader_, you think they'd let you into our _army_?"

The blonde looked affronted.

"I assure you, madam." Sam frowned. "My name is Harry Potter. If there is anyone under a spell it would be _you_. I--."

"You're real name is Samuel Winchester, you're _this_ one's younger brother." She pointed to Dean. "You are American, training to be a witch/wizard/warlock (_whatever)_ and you're a part of the Slayer's gang of misfits and nobodies who save the world before dinnertime." Cordelia let him have it straight up. "You're in love with Chloe Sullivan, but she sees you as her best male friend, and she's going out with a _vampire_ despite the fact that you all fight vampires most of the time, but Angel's an exception because he's got a soul. You think he's okay as himself, but you're resentful of him because you know that if he hadn't shown up Chloe would have ended up being your girlfriend, which everyone in your group agrees with, although they mightn't say it out loud."

Sam continued to look at her in confusion. "That can't...that can't be so."

"Oh, it is. She has no idea you're in love with her, so she's constantly trying to hook you up with other girls, this one especially." Cordelia pointed to Amy. "Probably because both her _and_ her psycho mom want into your pants. But, you know, you could do _so_ much better than this one, no matter _how_ much of a geek you really are."

"Excuse me?" Amy gasped.

Sam blinked, looking confused. "This is...a _spell_?"

Cordelia nodded. "Yes. Good. Now that we're all up to speed, what the _hell_ are we going to do?"

A groan caused everyone to turn to see Buffy beginning to stir awake.

"Hallelujah." Cordelia announced, going to her. "It was about _time_ you got up! What the _hell_ were you puling back there?"

"What?" Buffy asked, standing up, looking at Cordelia in confusion.

"Are you hurt?" Dean asked her.

"Huh?" She asked him.

"Are you _retarded_?" Cordelia tried. "C'mon Buffy! Get with the program here!"

"Buffy?" Buffy made a face at the name.

Cordelia groaned. "Great. She's not Buffy."

"Who's Buffy?" Sam wanted to know.

"Oh, this is fun." Cordelia grumbled before turning to Buffy. "What year is this?"

"1775." Buffy answered immediately, confused and beginning to hyperventilate. "I--I don't understand. Who are you and why are you dressed like a cat?"

"They're friends." Cordelia pointed to the others.

"You're not?" Buffy asked.

"No." Cordelia shook her head. "I only tolerate your existence most of the time because you hang out with Chloe and end up saving my life most of the time."

Buffy was looking more and more confused. "I don't understand anything! Chloe? Friends? Saving lives? Everything is so strange! How did I come to be here?"

"Stop hyperventilating already. It's getting annoying." Cordelia felt no compassion whatsoever. "You're the Slayer. You're supposed to be kicking butt and taking names!"

"What's a Slayer?" Amy asked.

Buffy blinked. "_Whose_ names?"

Suddenly a monster came round the tree behind Buffy and roared, fangs bared and claws raised to attack.

Buffy screamed and backed off as Dean jumped in and whacked the monster across the face with the butt of his rifle, knocking it down and out.

Dean frowned. "I suggest we get inside before we come across anything..."

"A DEMON! A DEMON!" Buffy screamed, jumping behind Cordelia and clinging onto her outfit. "A DEMON!"

"Hey! Watch the suit!" Cordelia cried.

A sport utility vehicle came driving down the street with its headlights on.

"That's not a demon." Amy made a face. "It's a _car_."

"What does it want?" Buffy whispered, terrified.

"Is this woman insane?" Sam wanted to know. "Because St. Mungos..."

"No, she's not _insane_. She's just under a _spell_...and _ruining my costume_!" She jerked away from Buffy, feeling her costume rip slightly. "Hey! Look what you did! Now Partytown is never going to take this back!"

Buffy looked up at her in terror.

Cordelia rolled her eyes and looked around. "Okay, if I remember right Chloe said Buffy's home was the one that _really_ needed to have a facelift, and that's not far away. Good. House of the Slayer, should have weapons. Or, something." She turned to them. "Come on you dweebs. Let's get out of here."

* * *

Walking leisurely down the street, Spike watched in awe as several monsters chased people down the street past him.

"Well!" He exclaimed to himself, looking around. "This is just..._neat_!"

"Isn't it?"

He turned at the sound, surprised when he saw Chloe leaning against a light post, a trail of blood trailing down the side of her lips, arms folded over her chest, and smile evil. "I'm not exactly sure _what_ has happened to cause this, but I'm glad I'm not missing it."

"Pet." He looked at her curiously, wondering why there was blood tinting her lips. "Interesting seeing you out here so calm. I would have...expected you to be...fighting...or something."

She looked up at him curiously. "Do I know you?"

He stopped, a little insulted that he had kidnapped her and attacked her school, his blood was inside of her and everything and she didn't even have the grace to remember him. His face shifted in his displeasure.

She then smirked. "Ah, you're like me then, huh?" And then her face shifted in front of him.

To that of a vampire.

Spike's eyes widened in shock.

What the bloody _hell_ had happened?

"And for your information, whoever you are, I already fed. Not much though." She pouted. "Didn't like the taste of his blood. Left him alive wherever he was."

He smirked, getting over the shock rather quickly. "Surprised by you, luv. Seen you in action. You're a bloody lil' bird."

She grinned up at him through her eyelashes, face morphing back to its human guise as she sauntered towards him, pressing herself softly against him as she walked her fingers up his chest. "So...you seem to know me pretty good, handsome."

He smirked.

Angelus' bird was all over him.

"Not as well as I would like." He hooked his arm around her, smiling evilly at the thought of Angelus finding this out.

"We could remedy that." She whispered, bringing her hand up to his mouth and tracing his lips with the digit before he opened up to it.

Angelus was going to have a _fit_ when news of this got back to him. And they were out in the open, in front of everyone. _Someone_ Angelus knew was going to see them and tell him about this.

Grinning, Spike felt Chloe trail her finger over his fangs before slicing her finger deliberately on one, a spurt of her blood spewing into his mouth.

Suddenly the grin froze along with everything else in Spike's body as the first taste of that blood splashed upon his tongue.

It---It was unlike anything----_anything_---he'd ever tasted in his _life_.

A snarl nearly escaped his lips when she withdrew her digit, but then her lips replaced it and her bottom lip was bleeding from where her fangs had punctured it purposely, and the blood was flowing and Spike was whimpering, growling, snarling and desperate as he pulled her tighter to him and drank in the blood, drunken and needy and aroused beyond belief by the taste.

Pushing Chloe up against a tree and finding his place between her thighs, Spike forgot the reason why he'd come out here in the first place.

* * *

At the Summer's house (Mrs. Summers was obviously out) Dean and Sam scanned the house and made sure that no one was inside before returning to where the girls were standing, Buffy and Amy worried, Cordelia going through the phone book, trying to find Giles' number. If there was anyone out there that could help them, it was Giles. She'd tried calling Chloe, but her father had answered saying that Chloe had left it there before going to meet them. Cordelia had winced when she'd told him to lock up the house and get to a safe place to wait things out, since it _really_ wasn't safe out, thankfully Gave had done as told.

"All clear." Sam announced, putting down his M16.

"Where are we?" Buffy asked.

"Your place." Cordelia looked around her, unimpressed with the place. "Can't you tell? It's just like _you_. Needs a makeover."

There was a banging at the front door, Dean and Sam going to investigate, with the girls following.

"Don't open it!" Amy gasped.

"It could be a civilian." Dean frowned.

"_Or_ a mini demon." Cordelia reminded him.

Buffy noticed a picture on a table and went over to look at it. She picked it up and saw that it was a picture of her wearing a spaghetti strap top, hugging another pretty blonde girl with a mischievous smile. The Slayer who wasn't a Slayer turned around to Cordelia. "This...this could be me."

"It _is _you." Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Get with the program. Thats you and Chloe."

Sam's gaze jerked away from the door at the name.

"But I would never wear this sort of low, apparel." Buffy gasped. "It's _indecent_." Her eyes widened. "Have hard financial times forced me to walk the streets to support myself and maintain this strange abode?"

"Walk the streets?" Cordelia made a face, not really getting it.

Suddenly Buffy burst into tears. "I knew it! I'm a tart! I fell from grace! _DAMN_ father and his gambling addictions!"

Cordelia groaned, shaking her head and turning away from Buffy, facing Amy. "Why couldn't she have dressed up as _Xena_?"

Dean scanned the outside through one of the small windows in the door. He moved away just as a monster punched through the glass and reached for him, pulling back its hand as Dean raised his M16.

"Not a civilian!" Amy cried out.

"Affirmative!" Dean took aim through the broken portal.

"I thought I said no shooting!" Cordelia cried out.

Dean groaned and stepped aside to look at Sam. "You do something then, kid."

Sam glared at him before going to the broken portal and reaching out his wand. "_Stupefy!_" Down went the monster about to charge them once more.

"Good." Dean nodded. "Now lets start boarding in this place." He turned to Amy. "You! Check upstairs, make sure everything's locked up."

"But surely there's somewhere we can go. A safe haven?" Buffy asked.

Sam bent to pick up the picture Buffy had been looking at moments before, of her and the blonde girl. "_Chloe_."

Cordelia nodded, returning to her search of Giles' phone number, groaning when she couldn't find it listed. "That's Chloe."

Sam continued to look at the picture before putting it away, picking up another one. "Wow. It's _us_." Everyone crowded around him at that as they looked at the picture of them (minus Cordelia and Amy), in normal clothes, all giggling and laughing and having a good time. There was one other person in the picture, an elder man with glasses. "Who's he?"

"Rupert Giles." Cordelia replied.

Buffy tore the picture from Sam, looking at it with a smile, seeing how she and the older man smiled at each other. "Look at the regal brow, the manly tilt of his nose, the stately way he holds himself. He can only be one thing." She grinned brightly, holding the picture to her heart. "He's my husband! Lord of this home!" She giggled. "I have escaped the downward spiral of poverty my father had been trying to hide, and have married this handsome, inspiring man with incredible fashion taste." She looked around the house. "He's probably a banker." She brought the picture to her stomach. "I'm probably carrying the heir."

Cordelia shook her head. "Even whammied she's hopeless." Hearing the phone ring she reached for it, ignoring Buffy's shriek of terror as she looked around trying to figure out where the sound had come from. "House of the Whammied and Fashionably Incorrect, how may I help you?"

There was a pause. "This _is_ the Summers' residence, is it not?"

"Giles!" Cordelia stood up. "Thank _God!_ TELL me you're not whammied too!"

"Cordelia?" He sounded surprised. "What are you doing---never mind. Is everyone alright? It's utter _chaos _out here. Is Buffy alright? What's going _on_?"

"Buffy's fine, kinda, in a way." Cordelia shrugged. "That's not important right now. What _is_ important is that everyone's turned into their costumes."

"Pardon me?"

"They've lost their memories and turned into their costumes." She replied, looking out of the window. "Dean's a jarhead, Sam's Harry Potter, Amy's a skanky sailor, and Buffy, well, she's---."

"Is that my husband?" Buffy asked, coming up to Cordelia. "The others said that that is a strange, magical device which allows people to communicate with others."

"I'm kinda busy right now." Cordelia glared at Buffy.

"With _my _husband_?" _Buffy sniffed, looking up and down Cordelia. "I can _see_ you're not the kind of person I want conversing with _my_ husband. Now _hand me the magical conversing device_!" And with that she pulled the phone away from Cordelia and brought it tentatively to her ear. "My love?"

Cordelia was about to pull the phone back when she noticed someone outside. "Angel!" She motioned to the others. "Get him inside! He's good! He's on our side!"

"Angel." Sam tried out the name on his lips, eyes narrowed. "Isn't this the vampire you said that is with Chloe?"

Cordelia nodded as Dean hurried outside and brought the confused pirate inside, locking the door back up.

"Shiver me timbers, hell's broken loose out there it has." Angel announced as he entered.

Amy's eyes widened when she saw him as she descended from having checked upstairs. "_Wow_."

Cordelia glared at him. "Down, Skanky Barbie. This one's taken." She turned to Angel. "_Please_ tell me you remember who you are?"

Angel grinned at her. "What a lovely little tart you are. How about you and me head to my ship and christen it?"

She groaned. "Great." Turning around she jerked the phone out of Buffy's grip and spoke into it. "Giles! You're the only one other than me who remembers anything! Angel _just_ hit on me! And he thinks he's a pirate! He doesn't even speak pirate good!"

"Who told Buffy that I--that we----_heirs_?!?" Giles sounded like he was going to faint.

"No one told her. She just assumed. Look Giles, get with the program."

"R-r-r-r-r-r-right." He cleared his throat. "Let's review. Everyone became whatever they were masquerading as."

"Exactly." Cordelia nodded.

"What about you and Chloe? Who haven't told me about her...and you're normal."

"We don't know where Chloe is." Cordelia admitted. "And I'm beginning to get worried. She never told us what she was going dressed as, and for all we know she could be a pumpkin or something."

"I see." Giles was worried. "Well, it's a good thing that you weren't dressed up or otherwise..."

"Who said I'm not wearing a costume? I'm wearing a costume! And a damned expensive one at that."

There was a pause. "And yet you haven't changed?"

"Nope."

"What's different with your costume and theirs?" Giles suddenly asked.

"Other than the fact that I actually look _hot_?" Cordelia asked, genuinely confused. "Uhm, well, mine's better quality, for one. Almost everyone else went to that cheesy new place, Ethan's, and got theirs there because it was more '_affordable'_, but we all know that affordable is just a kinder word for '_cheap'_. And Cordelia Chase was _not_ going to be in anything _cheap_, so I went to Partytown to get mine and---."

He hung up on her.

"Oh!" Cordelia gasped. "Le _rude_!"

* * *

He loved Dru.

He adored Dru.

He'd give his unlife for Dru.

And yet he couldn't bring himself to pull out of Chloe as they continued to desecrate some old woman's front lawn.

He hadn't meant for it to get this far, just enough to get at Angelus...and yet the blood...her blood was unlike anything he'd ever tasted before, and he felt addicted to it as he drank and as she drank from him as they moved as one, hard and violent and in plain sight of anyone who just looked over the hedge of the lawn. He seemed eternally hard, wasting himself within her only to find that need still there, the firmness not leaving, the want unquenchable.

"_Yesss_." She hissed in his ear, nibbling on the shell.

He twitched violently and drove himself painfully deeper inside.

"YES!" She screamed, clawing down his back.

And Spike lost himself in the feeling once again.

* * *

Cordelia was going to go insane.

Not only was she having to stay in the same house with these freaks, but she was constantly having to guard Chloe's boyfriend's chastity! Angel and Amy kept flirting up a storm, and if they did something while under this spell she doubted Chloe was going to be forgiving about it. And Angel. Angel was a pirate slut, flirting with every girl in the home, herself included. Cordelia _so_ wasn't interested. For one, the undead weren't a kink of hers, and two, well, neither were pirates.

Thankfully, Buffy didn't seem interested either, only caring about the whereabouts and safety of her beloved husband.

But Amy.

Amy was being a skank.

Suddenly the lights went out, leaving them in near total darkness.

Buffy gasped and grabbed Cordelia in fright.

"Do you mind?" Cordelia grumbled.

"No, not really." Buffy shook her head.

The brunette sighed.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

In Ethan's Costume Shop, Giles looked around as he entered, surprised to have found the place unlocked. He'd had to dodge and fight a couple of monstrous characters to get here, and he hoped to hell that his hunch was correct, that somehow the costumes from _this_ particular place had something to do with what was going on outside.

"Hello!" He called out. "Anyone home?"

There was no answer, but he noticed a curtain to the back room partially open and slowly went inside, seeing a statue of Janus there, its eyes glowing green.

"Hello, Ripper."

Turning towards the sound, Giles went pale white, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Ethan."

"What? No hug?" Ethan sneered. "Aren't you pleased to see your old mate, Rupert?"

"I'm just surprised I didn't guess it was you." Giles' face melted into a sneer of disgust. "This Halloween stunt stinks of Ethan Rayne."

"Yes it does, doesn't it?" Ethan agreed. "Don't wish to blow to my own trumpet, but its genius. The very embodiment of 'be careful what you wish for'."

"It's sick, brutal, and it harms the innocent." Giles countered.

"Oh, and we all know that you are the champion of innocents and all things pure and good, Rupert." Ethan shook his head. "Its quite a little act you've got going here, old man."

"It's not an act. It's who I am."

"Who you are?" Ethan chuckled. "The Watcher, sniveling, tweed-clad guardian of the Slayer and her kin? I think _not_. I _know_ who you are, Rupert, and I know what you're capable of." He paused, considering. "But they don't, do they? They have _no idea_ where you come from."

"Break the spell, Ethan." Giles ordered, voice dark and dangerous. "Then leave this place and never come back."

"Why should I?" Ethan tilted his head slightly. "What's in the bargain for me?"

"You get to _live_."

Ethan sniggered. "Oh, Rupert, you're scaring me."

Fast as lightning Giles punched him in the gut with a left, making him double over, and followed up with a right to the face.

* * *

It was almost twenty minutes after the blackout before Cordelia realized that Amy and Angel were missing.

"Wait. Where are those two?" She asked, standing up, going towards the stairs and stopping when she heard the moaning come from upstairs. "Oh _shit!_ Chloe's going to _kill_ me!"

* * *

Ethan fell to the floor, severely beaten up, and yet smiling through bloody teeth. "And you said the Ripper was long gone."

"Tell me how to stop the spell." Giles growled, standing above him.

"Say 'pretty please'." Ethan taunted.

Giles kicked him hard in the kidney, causing him to yell out in pain.

* * *

"You have a _girlfriend_!" Cordelia banged into the door, trying to drown out the sounds inside. "I know you don't remember this! But you do! And when you _do_ remember you're not going to be able to forgive yourself for this! And she won't forgive you either!"

* * *

Spike growled a complaint as she pulled away from him finally, dodging his grab for her and standing in all her naked glory, reaching for her skin-tight suit and putting it back on. "Where the bloody hell do you think _you_ are going?"

He felt so alive, so strong, so invincible....so _sleepy_.

Damn. If Dru had been right about Chloe's blood giving you extra strength, he'd used it all up _inside_ of her.

"As much fun as this has been," she zipped up the suit. "I'm a creature of the night. I fed, I fucked, now I wanna go find a place _before_ sunrise." She motioned to the lightening sky. "You should _probably_ do the same." She turned and sauntered away.

Spike watched her go the taste of her blood still in his mouth.

He was still twitching for her.

* * *

Giles kicked him again, saving no mercy. "Now tell me how to stop the spell!"

"Janus." Ethan wheezed in agony. "Break its statue."

Wasting no time, Giles grabbed the statue and lifted it over his head and throwing it down hard to the floor, smashing it into tiny pieces.

He turned to Ethan. "That better have broken the spell."

And with that he raced out of the store, heading towards Buffy's.

* * *

There was a yell, a scream, and a snarl, and suddenly the door Cordelia had been banging on flew open, and a naked Amy raced out, clutching her clothes.

Hand still suspended in the air, Cordelia hesitated a second before entering the room, seeing Angel sitting up in the bed, eyes wide in horror, sheets thankfully covering down below.

"Angel?" She asked, carefully.

He looked up at her in agony. "What have I _done_?"

* * *

On her way towards finding a place to hide from the sunlight, Chloe screamed as her body seemed to be on fire and she collapse to her knees.

And suddenly, and suddenly she wasn't a vampire anymore.

And she could remember _everything_.

Eyes wide in horror, she sat on her knees on the pavement, huge tears beginning to fog her gaze. "What have I _done_?"

* * *

**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Supernatural

**WARNING: LEMON. Kinda kinky.**

* * *

"I thought I asked you not to come around for a while." Chloe whispered, hugging her knees to her chest as she sat on her bed in the total darkness, not needing to look in the direction of her balcony to know that he was there.

Angel hesitated at the door before entering. "Chloe, I---I know that I made a huge mistake but---but Chloe, I know there's nothing I can say but---."

"Angel." She whispered, closing her eyes. "I'm not mad at you. I need you to believe that. I---I know that you didn't have control over what you did. That you didn't remember me. That you didn't remember us." The blonde finally turned to look at him, looking into his face for the first time since Halloween, four nights ago. "I'm not angry at you. You gotta believe me."

"You _should_ be." Angel entered the room, anger at himself in his every move as he went to kneel in front of her. "I---I _betrayed_ you, Chloe. I betrayed _us!_ I wasn't strong enough to overcome a spell!"

"I didn't _either_." Chloe whispered harshly, looking away from him. "Angel!" She brought her clenched hands to her face, hating the fact that she was so close to tears. "Angel! _Why_ do you think that when we saw each other again I wasn't in costume? _Why_ do you think I've been unable to look you in the eyes since Halloween? It isn't because of what _you_ did! It's because of what _I_ did!"

He went still. "What...what are you saying?"

Chloe wiped at her eyes, forcing herself to look down at him. "Angel, the reason why I never told you what costume I was going to wear was because I wanted to surprise you."

"I know."

"No, you don't get it. I was a _vampire_, Angel." She looked down into his brown eyes. "And when Ethan Rayne did that spell, I _became_ a vampire."

Angel went still. "Did you kill---?"

"No, but I drank from him." She admitted. "He was a monster at the time but...but...but that's not even the worst part."

Angel reached up and placed a hand on Chloe's trembling one. "C'mon baby. You can tell me."

She looked at him pleadingly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Angel, I didn't remember you, I didn't remember _us_. All I knew was that my name was Chloe, I was a vampire, and the scent of fear in the air was _intoxicating_." She wiped at a tear. "I'd just fed, and I---I---I met another vampire."

Angel went stone-still.

"And I slept with him." Chloe forced the words out. "Most of the time I was under that spell, I was with _him_."

Angel took in a deep, unnecessary breath and stood up before sitting down next to her. "Oh."

She bit her bottom lip, nervous. "Angel, I love _you_."

"I love you too." He whispered, placing his hand over hers, holding it a little harder than was necessary but she didn't care. "Had you ever seen him before that night?"

She took in a deep breath. "It was Spike."

Angel turned to look at her, face shifted, eyes gold. "_What_?" He then got up, furious. "That little _brat_! He _knew_! He! He did it to _piss me off_!"

Chloe watched him growl and pace her floor. "Angel?"

"I hope Dru tore his balls off!"

_Dru_?

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "What are talking about? Who is _Dru_?"

Angel stopped pacing, turning to look at her with a wince. "I didn't want to tell you about this."

"_Who_ is _Dru_?" Chloe tried once more, standing. "Talk to me Angel. If this has taught is anything its that it hurts us to keep secrets from each other. _Please_. Tell me about Spike, about this _Dru_ character. How do you know them? _What_ are they to you?"

Angel sighed. "Do you love me?"

"Of _course_ I do." She whispered, going towards him and holding his hand in both of hers. "I love you so much it _hurts_."

"You know...you know that I did a lot of unconscionable things when I became a vampire." He began, unable to look her in the eyes. "Drusilla was the worst. She was...an obsession of mine. She was pure and sweet and chaste..."

"And you made her a vampire." Chloe guessed.

He nodded. "First I made her insane." He finally looked at her. "Killed everybody she loved, visited every mental torture on her I could device. She eventually fled to a convent, and on the day she took her holy orders, I turned her into a demon."

"And Spike is her new boyfriend?" Chloe asked. "I don't----I don't understand."

"Spike is her _childe_." Angel sighed, sitting down on the bed and pulling Chloe into his lap, curling himself around her. "He was a really soft-spoken, gentle, poetic nobleman who wore glasses and used to have all of his poems laughed at. They used to call him William the Bloody Awful Poet."

"A---_poet." _She blinked, unable to reconcile those two images together.

"To be truthful, I kinda liked his poems." Angel admitted before continuing. "Thing is that Dru took a liking to him, and she sired him. But Dru---Dru's insane. She's got the Sight--one of the reasons why I became obsessed with her---but its all tangled up in her head and...well..point is she sired William but he needed a Sire...someone to teach him the way of the vampire, and Dru couldn't be that vampire."

"So _you_ did it." Chloe realized. "_You_ became his Sire in every sense but the siring."

He nodded, shame filling his face. "Everything that Spike is today, _I made him_."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Wow. I---I never would have guessed it."

Angel was silent.

"You know, from a vampire point of view, you did a great job."

Angel choked on his saliva. "I can't believe you just said that!"

She laughed softly, turning in his hold so that she was nestled with her face against his chest. She'd been so scared that they'd never be like this, so scared that one night had ruined everything for them, and while her body still trembled slightly from nerves she held onto his shirt tightly, refusing to let go of the material quite like she refused to let go of her vampiric lover. "Angel, why didn't you tell me all this before? I'm never going to look at you differently, no matter _what_ you tell me. _Especially_ if its because of something that _Angelus_ did hundreds of years before I was born."

"It wasn't _hundreds_ of years." Angel murmured, holding her tighter and bringing his mouth to the crown of her head, kissing her. "God I missed the feel of you, Chloe. I---these last couple of days have been _hell_. I was so angry at myself, so scared---I thought I'd lost you."

"Fat chance of that ever happening." She whispered against his shirt, closing her eyes. She loved him. God she loved him. She didn't think it would be easy, the thought of him with Amy made her both sick and angry, but she could understand, and she could accept, and she could forgive---just like he had apparently done with her and Spike. "I love you so much I'm willing to do things I never thought myself capable of."

"Where's Gabe?" Angel suddenly asked, voice going deeper.

"Out." She whispered, trembling slightly at how easily she was able to read him, at how eagerly her body responded to his need throbbing against her. "He's been cooped up in the house for days, so I asked...I asked Jenny to take him out."

Angel's hands went to her waist and picked her up easily, turning her so that she was straddling him on the bed. "A date?" He murmured, one hand on her hip, pressing her down against him, the other moving all her hair to one side and beginning to nibble at the flesh of her neck with his blunt, human teeth.

"If you call going to see monster trucks a date, then yes, they are." Chloe whimpered, eyes closing as she tilted her neck to the side, offering easier access for her vampire lover. "_Ohhhh_."

He chuckled at the sound.

"Bastard." She complained with a groan, pressing down against him, both hissing at the contact that was both sweet and yet not enough for either of them.

"Nothing says romance _quite_ like nitro-burning funny cars." Angel told her with mock seriousness as he nibbled a little harder on her.

"_Really_?" She whispered breathless as she pushed up a little on her knees, giving her enough space to slide her hand between them and slowly, expertly undo his button and zipper, freeing his long, hard, throbbing member. "I _think_ I can come up with something that _might_ be able to rival it." She reached for her underwear and pulled it aside before slowly lowering herself down, impaling herself, inch by inch, on his quivering member.

Twin moans of ecstasy escaped their lips as they threw their heads back.

Finally, when they were joined at the hilt, did their eyes open, searching the other...and then they were kissing, hard and urgent, trying to devour the other alive as they moved together _just_ as desperately.

Just as she felt she would explode he slowed down, purposely forcing her still, keeping her from what she desired most.

"_Angel_..." She begged, giving a gasp as suddenly everything shifted and in seconds she was under him on the bed, with him trapping her beneath his weight, not moving. "_Angel_!"

He looked down at her, face still human, though eyes with a tint of gold in them. "Did you cum?"

"You know I didn't...you bastard. You're the one who stopped me just as I was going to..." She whimpered, trying to force her hips into a buck, but his weight kept them stationary on the bed. "_Angel!_ Stop it! I wanna _cum!_"

"So _vocal_..." He purred giving one deep push, hitting her right where it made her see stars, and yet not enough to send her over the cliff, stilling once more.

"_Angel_..." Her voice broke with desperation. "Why---?"

"_Did_ you cum?" He asked once more, gazing down at her with dark, sensual intent. "What did he do to you? How much did you enjoy it?"

Her eyes widened as she suddenly realized what he was asking. "_Angel_..."

"_Tell me_!" He hissed, eyes more gold, ridges faint on his skin. "What did he do? What did he touch?" He smirked. "How did he start?"

Chloe was confused, but way too turned on to really care.

Angel didn't seem angry.

Not much at least.

He seemed more...more..._turned on_.

Her eyes widened at the realization.

Oh.

_Oh_!

_God_ he was kinky.

"He---he didn't do much at first." She stammered. "We were kissing and he pushed me against a tree."

Angel smiled down at her, a lazy, sexy smile that was somewhat predatory. "What else? What did he do after that?"

"He---he---." She was blushing. She _knew_ she was blushing. "_Angel_..."

"_What else_ did he do?" Angel pressed, giving her a punishing thrust that really made her more horny and desperate than anything else.

"He unzipped my suit to the naval and p-p-p-peeled off the top of it." She stammered once more, face and neck burning with embarrassment and arousal.

"Like this?" His voice was dark seduction as he lifted his weightily slightly off her, transferring it to his hand, as he used his free one to hook a finger in her overgrown t-shirt, beginning to slowly raise it, revealing more and more creamy skin to his view, stopping only right under her breasts. "What bra where you wearing?"

"None." She whispered, feeling his throbbing harder inside of her at those words.

Angel tore the shirt in half, ripping it open and baring her breasts to him. "Did he touch you here?" He whispered. "Did he kiss you? Put his lips here?"

"_Yes_!" Her voice was a near cry, her body humming.

Angel gave her a long, hungry look before his gaze lowered to her breasts, his gaze caressing each pink nipple, before he lowered himself over her once more and cupped her breasts with his hands, kneading them. "Like this?"

"Yes..." She whimpered, arching up to him as best she could with his weight on her, electric jolts racing down her body to her now soaking core every time he pinched and teased her nipples. "Like that!" She gave a cry that sounded pitiful when he let go of one of the nipples only to replace his hands with his mouth and tongue, teasing her torturously, slowly, throbbing deep inside of her with his obvious need to _move_ and yet refusing to do so.

At least...not yet.

"And then he...he...he kissed down my body, slowly..." Chloe gasped as Angel stopped suckling her breast with a loud, wet _pop_ and made a slow descent down her body, mouth worshipping every inch of her, nibbling, licking, breathing on her wet skin. He concentrated on the skin right below her naval, teasing and nibbling, knowing right below what ached for him the most, what was _pleading_ for his mouth, and yet refusing to move.

Waiting on her.

"And he...he..." Chloe closed her eyes tightly, frustration and horniness battling inside of her. "He licked me there, he fucked me with his tongue and he made me _scream_."

And then Angel was _there_, and Chloe's back arched, her eyes closing tighter as her hands clutched themselves in the sheets. She whimpered and cried and begged and pleaded as his tongue invaded her, fucking her mercilessly, playing with her clit and sucking it hard, bringing her to the brink over and over again only to move away or stop when she was right about to...when she was just _seconds_ away. The torture seemed unending, with Chloe resorting to pathetic pleading begging, _please_ let her cum. _Please_. It got to the point where she was _screaming_ her pleas to him, and only then did he stop, pulling away, a self-satified look on his face.

"What did he do then?"

Chloe wanted to tell him to _fuck_ what Spike did...to just fucking _fuck_ her already...but she knew that the game by now, knew that he was going to do what Spike had, torturous as it may be, and he _would_ figure out if she skipped some details to hurry things along, so she just whimpered, realizing just _how much_ at his mercy her body was.

"He bit me." She gave in, feeling so close to tears with her need to cum, the sensation tight and desperate inside of her. "On the inside of my thigh."

"Right or left?" Angel asked, and when she shook one he gave it all of his attention, lathering it with his tongue before beginning to suck on the delicate skin in there, bringing the blood to the surface, the pain adding to her pleasure as his fangs pierced through her skin. A groan of utter pleasure filled him as he drank from her, tongue lapping at the blood that threatened to overfill his mouth.

"_Angel_..." She groaned, feeling like she would _die_ if he wasn't in her again.

"Tell me he fucked you." Angel's voice was gruff with need. "_Please_ tell me he fucked you soon."

He needed her as much as she needed him.

"He turned me over so that I was on my hands and knees." She squealed as in a second he'd done so as well. "And then he was behind me, like a dog, his cock piercing me the same time his fangs did my shoulder."

Barely did she have time to finish that sentence when he was in her to the hilt, fangs buried deep into the tattoo on her right shoulder blade, and he was fucking her, fucking her hard and fast and desperate.

"He--he--he," Chloe cried out. "Fingers...my..._clit--AH!_" She screamed as his fingers found her and were relentless, stroking her like one would a fire, building her stronger and stronger as he pounded into her. "_ANGEL!_"

He snarled into her shoulder, thrusts faster and faster until sudenly Chloe _exploded_, spasming around him, and he quickly followed, thrusts desperate until he finally buried himself deep inside of her and held on tight as he came long and hard, groaning her name into her flesh as he tasted her blood.

And then...and then he collapsed on top of her in the bed, extracting his fangs from her and licking lesurely at the blood, throbbing inside of her. "You're fuckin' _mine." _He growled possessively against her skin. "_Mine_."

Chloe gasped for breath, never having...never having had such a...

_My GOD!_

She took in a deep breath, panting, before an evil smile touched her lips. "Tell me when you're ready for me to tell you what he did to me the _second_ time."

Angel laughed darkly against her skin before shoving himself deep within her again and starting all over.

They reclaimed each other over and over again throughout the night, possessively, punishingly, knowing that their issues were far from being resolved, but they were on the road towards resolving them.

And for now that was enough.

* * *

In Spike's warehouse, Drusilla stood, attention fully on a birdcage as she spoke. "You sing the sweetest little song. Won't you sing for me, hmmm? Don't you love me anymore?"

Spike leaned against the wall, watching her, his gaze going to the dead bird lying at the bottom of the cage, and then up at his Dark Princess. "Dru. I heard a funny thing just now. Lucius told me that you went out on a hunt the other night."

"My tummy was growly and you were out." Dru replied before returning her attention to the bird. "Come on." She whistled. "I'll pout if you don't sing."

Spike narrowed his eyes, knowing when Drusilla was hiding something from him. "You, um, meet anyone?"

He knew she wasn't angry with him, she'd actually talked about his and Chloe's...encounter...as if it were a natural thing. She'd then began talking about Angel, about families, how families _shared_, and how she wanted to be a family again.

"I'm not alone in the world." Dru nodded, not offering any more information, eyes on her bird. "I'll give you a seed if you sing."

"The bird's _dead_, Dru." Spike felt his patience leaving him rapidly. "You left it in a cage, and you didn't feed it, and now its _all dead_, just like the last one."

Drusilla cowered and whined at the revelation.

Spike sighed, feeling horrible. "I'm sorry baby. I'm a bad, rude man. I just don't like you going out, that's all. You're weak." He took her hand. "Would you like a new bird? One that's not dead?"

"I want my family. Not a _bird_." Drusilla told him, pouting, pulling away from him. "The stars and I conspire and speak and yet you do _nothing_!"

Spike frowned. "That's not fair, sweet. I've been---."

"The stars sing of one opportunity, ONE!" Dru twirled on him, furious, face her true one. "And yet you do not kill the Slayer, you do not dance to the music and speak with the wind!"

The first part Spike had gotten, it was the second two that had him confused. "Say that again, Pet?"

"One Spike, one." Dru held up a finger in his face. "If not the wind blows all the pieces away and never more to be one. Pain and suffering and not the good kind that makes princess happy!"

Spike frowned. "You're saying we only have one shot at something. At what? Killing the Slayer?"

Dru just turned around and stormed away.

Spike watched her go with a frown, wondering what it was that he wasn't understanding.

* * *

"You took him back." Sam's voice was incredulous. "He _slept with Amy_ and you _took him back_?!?"

Chloe sighed as she fried the hamburgers on the Winchester's stove. Since her father was almost always out till late because of his job, and Angel was usually busy meeting his contacts and such, she spent a couple of nights a week usually at the Winchester's cooking for them. It helped her feel useful, especially since her search on their father had turned up inconclusive, and it helped them have something other than delivery.

Dean looked up from where he'd been getting the plates.

"Sam, I know that he slept with Amy, and that you had thought that maybe you and her might have a future---but they were both under a _spell_, it didn't _mean_ anything." Chloe tried to explain to him, wondering why Sam looked like he wanted to throttle her. "You shouldn't hold this against either of them, because it just happened." Still, she didn't know how she was going to face Amy without wanting to tear her face off. "It didn't mean anything except for the fact that they don't find each other repulsive. They couldn't remember me or you. It isn't their fault so stop trying to hold them to it." She flipped over the burger. "Anyway, I had never _left_ him. I was just, shaken up, and I needed some time alone to sort through my thoughts, but I had enough time to myself and Angel and I talked early this evening before he had to go out patrolling with Buffy, and we cleared everything up."

"I can't _believe_ you bought that crap!" Sam exclaimed, looking _angry_ for the first time since she'd known him. "He slept with _Amy!_"

"And I slept with Spike!"

There was silence.

Dean's mouth was open to a ridiculous degree.

Sam just blinked, confused. "_What_?"

Chloe sighed. "I---I didn't want to say this to anyone, but during the spell I was a _vampire_. But thankfully my vampire self preferred screwing the _hell_ outta Spike rather than decimating the population of Sunnydale."

Dean had yet to close his mouth.

"_Spike_?" Sam squeaked. "I'm-Gonna-Kill-You-Saturday Spike? Mister Billy Idol Wanna Be Spike?"

"Yeah." Chloe nodded, flipping the burgers once more. "_That_ Spike."

"What is it with you and _vampires?!?" _Sam snapped. "Is no _normal_ boy good enough for you anymore? A guy has to have no pulse and be _dead_ for a couple of hundreds of years to catch your eye?"

"That's unfair. I was a _vampire_ at the time! Of _course_ I'd be attracted to my own kind!" Chloe cried out.

"And you know what they say, Sammy." Dean finally spoke. "Once you go 'vamp' you don't go back."

Sam glared at him.

Dean shrugged. "Sounded funny in my head."

The sound of the door banging closed caused everyone to look up, surprised.

"I'm home." A deep, male voice said before the man appeared in the doorway, stopping in shock when he looked within. "And we have...a visitor."

Chloe blinked, holding onto the spatula, looking upon John Winchester for the first time _ever_.

Both Sam and Dean straightened up immediately, shock on their faces.

"Dad." Dean blinked.

"You told us you'd be gone for another week." Sam hurried to say.

Chloe looked from one to the other before returning her attention to the man who Cordelia had told her such horrible things about, and whom Chloe knew for a fact didn't feel guilty about raising his hand against his son. "Mister Winchester." She stepped forwards, surprising them. "I'm sorry for intruding, if I had known that you'd be home from your trip, tired, wanting to rest, I wouldn't have come and bothered."

He looked at her oddly. "I---I'm sorry. Who are you?"

"Chloe." She kept her unease and anger at bay. "Chloe Sullivan. I'm a friend of your sons'."

"Sullivan." John tried the last name before giving her a look. "You wouldn't be related to anyone named _Lane_, would you?"

Chloe's eyes widened in surprise. "M-my mother was a Lane. Moira Lane."

And suddenly John Winchester's face broke out into a large smile. "I can't believe it. You're _Mori's_ daughter?"

The brothers looked at each other in shock.

Chloe nearly dropped her spatula. "You knew my mother?"

"Knew her? Yeah! From birth practically." He grinned, coming towards her. "Was in love with her throughout most of high school, but Mori, she liked her men older and dangerous."

Sam snorted and mumbled something under his breath that Chloe couldn't quite catch.

"Oh."

"How is she?" John asked.

"She left when I was a kid." Chloe responded, since 'she became power-hungry and went to challenge the vampire king for dominion over the earth' just wasn't something you told anyone..._ever_.

"Oh, sorry." His smile disappeared, before it returned. "So, are you single or has one of my sons been smart enough to snag you?"

She blinked, so confused. "Uh, no, I'm going out with someone else."

"Older." Dean supplied. "_Dangerous."_

John blinked before shaking his head and laughing. "Like mother like daughter I guess." He rubbed his hands together. "What's for dinner?"

"Burgers?" Sam asked, looking freaked.

"Haven't had homemade in the longest time. I'll go clean up." And with that John Winchester walked away.

"Okay." Dean said as soon as his bedroom door closed behind him. "Who _was_ that and what did he do with John Winchester?"

* * *

"Well, it seems like Louis XVI was just sort of a weak king." Dean announced in class the next day.

"That's fair enough." The teacher announced. "Uh, any other impressions?"

Cordelia, from where she was sitting in front of Buffy, raised her hand. "I just don't see why everyone's always picking on Marie Antoinette. I can _so_ relate to her. She worked really hard to look that good, and people just don't appreciate that kind of effort." She flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "And I know the peasants were all depressed..."

"I think you mean _oppressed_." Dean corrected.

"Whatever." She snorted. "They were _cranky_. So they're, like, 'Let's lose some heads'. Uhhh! That's fair. And, and Marie Antoinette cared about them. She as gonna let them have _cake_!"

Buffy groaned and lowered her forehead to the table.

"Yes, well, that's a very interesting perspective." The teacher blinked a couple of times before looking around her near frantically. "Um, would anyone _else_ like to comment?"

The bell rung.

"_Thank god_." Buffy groaned, turning in her seat to look at Chloe as the rest of the class got up, happy to have lived through the last class of the day. "Have I told you how _amazing_ it is to know that that _woman_ is getting over her _horrendous_ crush on my Giles?"

"For the love of---it _wasn't_ a date!" Chloe laughed. "_I_ asked her to take him!"

"Matchmaker Matchmaker make me a match!" Buffy sung to herself.

Chloe rolled her eyes but didn't comment as her phone began to ring. "Hello?"

"Chloe. " Clark's voice was urgent. "I need your help. Now. I'm outside your school."

"You're _what_?" Chloe asked, getting up immediately and grabbing her things. "What's wrong?"

"No time Chloe, _please_."

"Okay." Hanging up her phone, she turned to her friends. "I have to go. Don't ask." And with that she ran out of the classroom as fast as possible, dodging through the crowds of students wanting to go home. She ignored Principal Snyder screaming at her to slow down, her friends calling after her, and despite being in heels she made it to the front of the school and into Clarks arms before her friends could make it outside and see her. "Take me away _now_."

And in the blink of an eye she was picked up, there was a gust of wind, and then she was put down.

And she wasn't in Sunnydale anymore.

"Wow." She looked around her, impressed. "I'm never going to get used to that." She then turned to look up at Clark. "What happened? What is it? And _where_ are we?"

"Sorry about this, but I couldn't think of anyone better to go to." Clark sighed, running his hand over his hair. "I need to go somewhere and I don't want to go alone, I _can't_ go alone, and Pete and I decided that you were the best person to go to."

"Why?" Chloe asked, eyes narrowed. "Where do you have to go to?"

Clark sighed. "It's this place called the Sunset Club."

"You need me to go with you to a _Club_." Chloe blinked.

"A _demon_ club." Clark corrected. "Frequented mostly by _vampires_."

"Okay. I see why I was called." Chloe replied. "But _why_ do you have to go there?"

Clark sighed, looking away from her. "Lana's newest boyfriend ended up being an Incubus who's going to sacrifice her tonight if we don't get her out of there. But they're going to realize something's up with me, I mean, they'll realize I'm not human, but they're going to tell that that is _not_ my scene and that will get them suspicious and I was thinking since you _are_ dating a vampire you would understand their ways better and you _did_ say that you don't give off a human vibe anymore..."

"So you want me to go there with you to give you more credibility." Chloe finished, understanding, frowning as her cellular began to ring. "That will be the others, worried about me." She turned off her cellular and looked at Clark. "Where are your spare clothes?"

"Spare...clothes?" Clark asked, slowly, in a confused way.

"The clothes you were going to go to the Sunset Club in?" Chloe asked.

Clark looked down at his jeans and plaid shirt.

She groaned. "Thank _god_ you called me." The blonde sighed, shaking her head. "We're going to _borrow_ some clothes for this operation."

Of course, Chloe's definition of 'borrowing' was technically _stealing_, but she'd told Clark that it was either him losing _one_ moral battle or Lana's sacrificial ceremony going without a hitch. So, in the end, Clark had gone along with her plan, going to clothes, shoes and jewelry stores he never would have gone to before with her, tried on certain garments, and then left with Chloe only to superspeed in by himself and take the items they'd decided on afterwards.

"Kent, you clean up _good_." Chloe grinned as she messed up his hair, trying to give it a wind-tousled look.

Clark Kent looked unlike anything she'd ever seen, dressed in black, with a leather jacket, leather pants, and combat boots.

He also looked hella uncomfortable.

Chloe, on the other side, felt incredibly comfortable in her short, pleated black skirt, high-heeled boots, and off-shoudler shirt that proudly displayed not only her tattoo, but Angel's fangmarks in it, the only fangmarks her body never tried to heal away. The blonde caught Clark looking at it intently and smiled. "It doesn't hurt."

He looked up, blushing. "It's just. Wow. You know?"

She laughed, remembering the night before with Angel. "You ready to go, Intergalactic Traveler?"

He nodded, superspeeding them to the entrance of the demon club, and Chloe knocked on the door, raising an eyebrow as the viewport opened and a doorman looked out. Clark opened his mouth to say something but Chloe just slapped him up the back of his head without taking her bored gaze off of the doorman's. The big guy smirked and opened the door, letting them in, but not before commenting on how Chloe should have kept the leash on 'that one' a little longer.

Once the door was closed behind them and they began to walk down a long, dark passageway, bright lights and music at the far end of the passage, Clark looked behind him to make sure the doorman couldn't hear before leaning towards her and whispering. "What did he mean by that?"

Chloe smirked. "He thinks you're my _pet_."

Clark tripped, nearly falling. "_What_?"

"Well, you fit the description, Clark. You're---you're kinda puppyish." Chloe giggled. "Anyway, it got us in, right?"

He nodded, though he still looked kinda uncomfortable, and that only increased a hundredfold when they reached the end of the passageway and they entered the Sunset Club, lights blaring colorfully, showing vampires and demons laughing and chortling, some vampires bathing under the falling blood of a couple of dead people hanging upside down from the ceiling.

Clark hesitated, horror on his face.

Eyes were already being turned to them, and Chloe knew that if they were discovered as intruders they'd be the next ones strung up there.

Giving Clark a pinch to try and tell him to stop looking like he was going to puke, Chloe pushed forwards and trailed a finger down one dead, bloody hand. Bringing the finger back, she brought it to her mouth and sucked at the metallic taste.

"Chloe?" Clark gasped in horror. "How could you---?"

"_Silence! Dog!_" She backhanded him, mentally asking him to forgive her. "Maybe the doorman was right and I _should_ have kept your leash on longer."

Clark was silent, hand to his cheek, still not used to feeling pain, and his cheek was burning from her blow.

Chloe sneered, relieved as those who'd been watching them snickered to themselves about pets, giving Chloe commiserating looks before returning to their own business as they danced and drunk and enjoyed themselves.

The blonde led Clark to a table and then shot him an apologetic look.

He sighed and nodded.

Schooling her features once more, Chloe looked around the club of demonic, dark pleasures.

She wondered if Angelus had hung out in places like this.

"What will it be?" A waitress asked, coming up towards them, ignoring Clark, whose status as a _pet_ had already been established in the club.

"What's the special in this place?" Chloe asked, since she had no idea what in the world one could order here than some O Pos, and she wasn't exactly going to be able to guzzle down a whole _glass_ of blood. There were limits to what she would do for Lana.

"B Negative, Demonite, Midnight Madness, and Gargon." She replied. "And, well, there's always _Dragon's Breath_."

Chloe, having no idea what most of those were, kept her bored expression on her face. "Dragon's Breath."

The waitress grinned. "You _looked_ like the gutsy type. _Knew_ I liked you." And with that she left to get the drink.

"She didn't ask me what I wanted." Clark noticed.

"You're a pet. Pet's are treated like that." Chloe offered. "Now how about you stop sulking and use your supervision to find out where they have the Pink Wonder?"

"Right." Clark nodded, trying to ignore the others and looking around the place, using what Chloe referred to as his most perverted super power. "There, back room to the right, close to the men's bathroom. They have her in a cage of some sort, gagged." He looked when the waitress returned with a sizzling lava-looking drink, handing it to Chloe with a wink before leaving.

Chloe watched the demoness go before turning to look at her sizzling drink curiously. "I think I should have ordered the Midnight Madness."

Clark frowned. "I don't think you should drink that."

"Oh, I should. We're being watched." Chloe replied, raising the goblet and taking a slow sip, surprised that despite the fact that the liquid was bubbling, it tasted cool and sweet. The blonde grinned, taking a deeper gulp of the drink and licking her lips. "I don't know what this is...but I _love_ it."

Clark blinked. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Chloe nodded. "Wanna try it?"

Clark looked like he was thinking it over before shaking his head. "No, I think I'll pass."

"Your loss." Chloe shrugged, leaning back leisurely in her seat, continuing to drink her drink, wondering why the demons around them seemed impressed and confused by this. She shrugged, ordering another one when she was finished, and soon more newcomers arrived, taking the information from the patrons from them, and she turned to Clark, who'd been shaking his leg under the table the whole while nervously. "Why don't you go to the bathroom? I don't want you wetting yourself."

A couple of demons close to her snickered.

Clark though, understood what she was doing, nodded, lowering his head humbly. "Y-yes M-Mistress."

Grinning, realizing he was getting better at this, Chloe relaxed in her seat, watching two female demonesses making out as some sort of entertainment for the patrons. The blonde shook her head and didn't notice the male coming towards her until he sat down where Clark had been moments ago.

"You know, it takes a special person to be able to drink Dragon's Breath." The male announced, giving her what she was sure he considered his charming smile. "And you've nearly finished your _second_ cup." That smile grew as he leaned over the table. "Wanted to come over and...introduce myself."

She could feel something move under the table, up her leg.

It took her a second to realize that it was his _tail_.

She smiled at him, leaning forwards as well. "If you don't take your _appendage_ away I'm going to make sure you _lose_ it."

He froze for a second before smirking. "Kitty's got claws. I likey." His tail brushed up between her legs.

Chloe gave him a dark smile as she put down her Dragon's Breath and grabbed his tail, squeezing tightly and jerking it towards her, causing him to lose balance and bang his head _hard_ back against the wall.

People were starting to look at her again.

"You bitch!" he snarled, getting up and upturning the table.

Chloe stood up as well, eyes narrowed, body in a defensive position.

He threw himself at her but she side-stepped him, and when he turned towards her she was ready, catching him with the fastest right hook she had on the end of his chin.

For a second he just stood there, and then he collapsed on the ground, knocked out.

Chloe smirked.

_Amateur_.

Angel had taught her to fight dirty, and in times like these, she enjoyed using all she'd been taught.

"Hey!" Another demon, who looked the same species as this one, stood, angry. "How dare you!"

Turning away from the charging creature, Chloe raced towards the wall and backflipped off of it, landing _behind_ the demon. She easily propelled herself forwards and performed a jumping side kick, and when the kick hit its target she pushed into the demon and gained a little more height. While still in the air she spun off of the side kick and performed a back kick with the other leg, managing to thus mash the demon's face twice into the wall before her feet even touched the ground.

The demon groaned and slid down the wall.

Chloe turned to the others. "Any other challengers?"

There was none.

Clark was watching by the doors, obviously having used the distraction to get Lana out, and having returned and watched the last part of it, eyes wide in shock.

Chloe put down some money on the table and stormed out, grabbing Clark by his jacket and pulling him out behind her as she left the establishment.

It was only when they'd turned the corner that she let go of him. "Where's Lana?"

"I superspeeded her home while you were beating the crap outta that creature. She was unconscious the whole while." Clark replied slowly, looking back at the establishment. "What are we going to do about that place? They're killing people. We just can't stay here and not do anything."

"We're not going to do anything. You're superpowered, but we both know that demons are somewhat immune to your powers." Chloe told him, eyes narrowed, refusing to look at the place. "But I'm going to tell Giles about it, and he'll have the Watchers Council on it like Brits on tea. I'll have to come up with an _incredible_ story about how I know about this place so that I don't reveal your powers...but I'll come up with something, don't worry about that."

"Watchers Council." Clark blinked. "Sounds important."

"All I know about the organization is that Giles seems to be the most intelligent individual to come out of it since every single time we have a crisis and ask for their help they can't do anything or don't know the information we need and he ends up solving everything in the end." Chloe shrugged. "But when they hear about this place they'll do something about it. Places like this are a slap in their faces."

"Okay." Clark nodded before giving her a curious look. "You've improved a lot since I last saw you fight. You took them both out in a couple of _seconds_."

She smiled, and then frowned, wondering if it was a good thing that fighting and hurting others was beginning to become so easy and _fun_ for her. "Clark?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Take me home."

* * *

**Review?**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville/Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Supernatural.

* * *

Outside Sunnydale High School at night, a man in a suit with a briefcase walked past a school building at a brisk, determined pace. He stopped for a moment and looked around, nervous tension showing on his face as behind him a door to his left opened, and a school custodian came out with a trashcan.

"Can I help you?" The custodian asked, pausing when he noticed him.

"Rupert Giles!" The man couldn't keep the urgency out of his voice. "I need to see him!"

"Mr. Giles, uh, he's our librarian." The custodian answered after a moment's thought. "Next building over, first door on your left."

The man rushed off without a word of thanks.

"You're welcome." The custodian snorted as he continued on to dump the trash.

The man continued at his brisk pace and found the outside library door, continuing towards it yet stopping in his tracks when he heard a twig being crushed behind him and he turned around. He heard a moan, but couldn't see anything, and checked the other way again. Behind him he heard breathing and turned back again, this time seeing a woman in the shadows.

"Oh, _God_!" He gasped in horror as she slowly walked into the light, revealing that she was dead and rotting, her eyes flashing yellow briefly. "_Diedre_?"

"_Philip_." She whispered his name.

The man, Philip, quickly backed and up didn't see the curb behind him, tripping over it and falling, dropping his briefcase. He scrambled to his feet and ran to the library door, pounding on it and yanking at the doorknob, but it was locked. "HELP! HELP! SOMEBODY, PLEASE!"

Diedre slowly advanced on him.

"God, no!" He cried out. "HELP ME!"

* * *

Inside the library, Buffy breathed in deeply, enjoying this time alone with Giles, even if she _was_ doing so professionally. At least it was fun to do her step aerobics to a techno beat, grinning as she kept sending glances to Giles, who was sitting at the table with his hands to his ears, not relishing the music. Their age-gap was spectacular, but she didn't mind all the quirks that made him such a fuddly-duddly because he was a sweet, caring, protective, lovely, and admittedly very _hot_ fuddly-duddly. And it was times like these that they were alone that she was just able to ogle him without all the others smirking or rolling their eyes at her.

Sam and Dean were on patrol tonight, both kinda freaked out because apparently their hell of a father had told them to invite Chloe over to dinner again tomorrow night, and she'd accepted, although she told Buffy that she was quite wary and wondered what game John Winchester was playing. Having heard about how their first meeting had happened, Buffy kinda wondered if it wasn't just the fact that Chloe was Moira's daughter that John wanted her around. He'd admitted to being in love with her mother for years, so maybe he wanted to feel somehow closer to the woman through her child.

Men were weird like that.

Chloe was with Ms. Calendar tonight, doing some extra classes for some reason. Those two seemed to be getting closer and closer, and while Buffy was a little jealous of the woman, she was glad that Chloe was developing a strong relationship with a mother-figure. Chloe didn't like to talk about it at all, but Buffy could see the yearning in her eyes whenever she'd be over Buffy's and see her relationship with her mom, no matter _how_ turbulent it might. Moira had left Chloe when she'd been a really young kid, and Chloe didn't have many memories of what it was like to have a mother, and Buffy hoped that wherever Moira Sullivan was today, that she was regretting having done what she'd done and abandoned her only child.

"_Must_ we have this noise during your calisthenics?" Giles finally broke down and complained, having kept silent for much longer than she'd expected him to.

"It's not noise!" Buffy giggled, not missing a move. "It's music!"

"I know music." He countered. "Music has note. This is _noise_."

"I'm aerobiscising! I _must_ have a beat!"

"Wonderful." He grumbled, shaking his head. "You work on your muscle tone while my brain dribbles out of my ears."

She grinned.

* * *

Outside, Philip continued to pound frantically on the door.

"HELP! HELP! PLEASE!"

Diedre continued to advance on him.

"HELP ME, SOMEBODY, _**PLEASE**_!"

Diedre closed the gap, and Philip turned to face her with horror in his eyes. She put her hands up to the door on ether side of him to prevent him escaping. He trembled with fear as she moved her hands to his neck and began to choke him.

* * *

Inside, deciding to have pity on Giles, Buffy finished her aerobics in record time, strolling to the table and turning off her boom box.

"Ahhh! Very good." Giles finally pulled his hands from his ears, a look of ecstasy on his face. "And the rest is silence."

* * *

Outside, Philip fell from Diedre's grip, dead.

A moment later Diedre collapsed next to him, and seconds after she hit the pavement she disintegrated into a puddle of slime...said puddle spreading out and merging into Philip.

* * *

"Giles has been having nightmares."

Chloe looked up at Buffy the next morning in school the school yard, sitting next to her under a tree, in surprise. "He's told you?"

"No, but he fell asleep a couple of times while I was doing my homework here last night. Each and every time he did he woke up with a gasp of horror and wouldn't look at me." Buffy admitted. "I know my Watcher inside out, mostly, and these last couple of days he's seemed more tired and stressed out. I'm actually beginning to worry about him. But he just won't open up to me. Every single time I ask him what's going on he has some pitiful excuse."

"Don't worry so much about English." Dean declared from where he was laying on his back on the lawn at their feet, looking up at the sky. "Give him a good Apocalypse and he'll be back in his normal spirit in no time."

"He _does_ thrive for his job." Sam agreed, before turning a look in Chloe's direction. "We still on for tonight? My father actually plans on being there early and, uh, helping _cook_."

"Is it just me or is this kinda twilight zone freaky?" Dean wanted to know, not giving Chloe time to answer Sam's question. "'Cause it is, you know, twilight zone freaky. He---he _smiled_. He _never_ smiles." He turned on his side and narrowed his eyes at Chloe, reaching over to grab her hand. "I think he wants to make you our stepmother."

Sam choked on the coca cola he'd been drinking, spurting the liquid out everywhere.

"Ewwww." Buffy made a face at the younger Winchester.

Chloe slapped the elder Winchester up the back of his head. "Behave."

Dean's eyes widened in mock horror. "She's already beginning to _act_ like a stepmother!"

Buffy perked up immediately, gaze finding Giles almost instinctively, as he made his way towards them on the quad. "Giles!"

He looked up and gave a weak smile, coming towards them. "Buffy, tonight is very important."

"Like every other night in Sunnydale." The Slayer bemoaned before standing and brushing herself off.

"So what's on tap tonight that's so important?" Sam wanted to know from where he was trying to clean his shirt of coke stains.

"Uprising, prophesied ritual?" Chloe blinked, raising her hand to shield her gaze from the glare as she looked up at Giles. "Preordained deathfest?"

"Ah," Dean sighed with a nostalgic smile. "The old standards!"

"Um, nothing so elaborate I'm afraid." Giles gave them all a slightly amused smile. "A medical transport is delivering the monthly supply of blood to the hospital."

"_Ah_." Buffy nodded, understanding. "Vampire Meals-On-Wheels."

"Hopefully not." Giles responded. "Sam and Dean, you two have patrol again tonight and Chloe, could you start the inventory to see just _what_ that vampire stole from our new books collection last weekend?"

"Sure." Chloe nodded. "I just have this dinner thingy with my future husband and stepsons and then I'll do it."

Sam glared at her.

Dean brought his hand to his heart. "I _knew_ it!"

Giles looked like he would prefer _not_ to know, shaking his head at them before turning to Buffy. "You and I will meet outside the hospital at 8:30 sharp. I'll bring the weaponry."

"Sure." Buffy grinned up at him, clasping her hands behind her. "It'll be a date."

"Course." He nodded, mind already somewhere else as he turned and left.

Buffy sighed, happily. "He said _course_."

"Gag." Dean vocalized, laying back down on the ground.

Chloe and Sam exchanged amused looks before the blonde looked up, seeing Ms. Calendar heading towards them. "Jenny!"

Buffy was still grinning dreamily and didn't even notice the newcomer.

"Hey guys." Jenny Calendar smiled, looking lovely as ever, eyes sharp. "Sam. We still on for tomorrow?"

Sam smiled and nodded.

"What's tomorrow?" Dean sat up, frowning. "You into cougars now, Sammy?"

Chloe gave Dean a little kick. "Stop teasing him."

Dean laughed.

"I'm reviewing some computer basics for the couple of students who've fallen behind." Jenny cleared things up. "Sam's helping out for extra credit."

Dean chuckled evilly. "Those poor schlubs have to attend school on Saturday!"

"9am okay with you, Dean?" Jenny grinned.

Dean's smile faded as he realized _who_ was in the group of students who'd fallen behind.

Sam snorted in amusement, getting the last laugh.

"Well, Cordelia's gonna be there too." Jenny announced as innocently as she could...which wasn't very much.

"Ooo, gang, did you hear that?" Dean asked, fake enthusiasm dripping from his every word. "A bonus day of classes plus _Cordelia!_ Mix in a little rectal surgery and it's my best day ever!"

Jenny raised an eyebrow and turned to Chloe. "She got a new boyfriend?"

"Day three." Chloe nodded. "But Dean will find a way to drive the poor _schlub_ away soon enough. His record is four days eleven minutes, but I'm sure he'll find a way to get rid of them in less time as he keeps practicing."

"Hey!" Dean looked between them. "I will do no such _thing_! As if I _care_ who she goes out with!"

Everyone looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I _don't_!" Dean tried to go for a convincing tone and expression.

No one was buying it.

"I hate you guys." He grumbled, getting up and heading for his next class as the bell rung.

* * *

Unable to get the nightmares he'd been having about his youth out of his mind, Giles sighed and shook his head, entering the library to discover a detective and two police officers there.

"Rupert Giles?" The detective asked, looking up at him.

"Yes?" Giles asked, confused and trying to fight the bad feeling in his gut.

"I'm Detective Winslow." He showed him his badge. "You're gonna have to come with me."

"Why?" Giles frowned, confusion growing.

"There was a homicide on campus last night." Detective Winslow responded. "The victim had no identification, but he was carrying this slip of paper with your name and address on it." He held up said slip in a baggie.

Giles set his briefcase down on the table in shock. "My name?"

He didn't even notice Cordelia walking into the library until she spoke. "Well, evil just compounds evil, doesn't it? First I'm sentenced to a computer tutorial on Saturday, now I have to read some computer book... There are books on computers? Isn't the point of computers to _replace_ books?"

"Cordelia," Giles cleared his throat, cutting her off. "I'm a little busy right now." He pointed to the detective as proof of said busyness.

"Oh! Great!" Cordelia stepped up to the detective. "Can you help me with a ticket? Its _totally_ bogus. It was a one-way street. I _was_ going one way."

"_Cordelia_!" Giles snapped, unable to handle her right now.

"_What?!_" She asked. "Why does _everyone_ always yell my name? I'm not deaf! _And_ I can take a hint." She paused, unsure. "What's the hint?"

"To come back later." He supplied.

"Yeah, when you've visited decaf land." Cordelia muttered to herself as she left.

Giles sighed, turning to Detective Winslow. "Where do you want me to go?"

He hadn't expected the city morgue, but he kept silent as he was ushered into a room with the coroner, who opened one of the body storage doors and pulled out the drawer.

"Have you had your breakfast?" The attendant asked.

Giles shook his head wordlessly.

"That was probably a good idea." The attendant replied as he pulled back the sheet to reveal Philip's body. It was bruised all over, with two especially dark bruises on the throat.

Giles stared down at him in horror as he recognized his once close friend, unable to believe that of all the people, it was _Philip_ who'd been killed on campus last night.

"Do you know him?" Detective Winslow asked.

"Yes." Giles whispered, still in shock. "Yes. I-I mean, I did. His name's Philip Henry. He was a friend of mine in London. I...I haven't spoken to him in twenty years."

"Can you think of any reason why he might've wanted to contact you?" The detective asked.

"No." Giles responded, gaze lowering to the tattoo on Philip's right arm, near the inside elbow.

"Do you know what that is?" The detective asked. "The tattoo."

"No." Giles shook his head. "No, I don't."

He wondered if the lie was obvious on his face.

* * *

Later that evening, Buffy stood at the hospital ER entrance, dressed up extra nice for tonight's mission, and folding her arms over her chest, pouting. Giles was _late_. She was a mixture of concern for him and annoyance. She'd gone to all the trouble of making sure that she looked extra gorgeous tonight just for him as a reward for finally admitting, even if completely subconsciously, that this could be, in some alternate british world inhabited by tweed-dwelling life-forms, considered a _date_. Sure. Not a lot of dates ended in _slayage_, but considering she was a Slayer and he was her Watcher Buffy decided that it was just to be expected.

Sometimes she wondered what her life would have been like if she'd never become the slayer, and she cringed. She would have been a vapid, blonde Cordelia.

And she'd never have met Giles.

Buffy sighed, remembering back to Halloween night, when she'd been sure that she was married to Banker!Giles and carrying the heir to his banking fortune.

She smiled, a little embarrassed, but realizing that even without any memories of Giles, she'd still gravitated towards him.

Dean, Sam, Angel---all _very highly_ attractive males, had been readily at her disposal, all at her side, and yet the one she'd immediately felt the connection to was Giles.

And that said something.

This bond that she had with Giles, the one that made him go kinda scary yet hot (Chloe's words) whenever Buffy was in danger, and made Buffy act like some lovesick _kid_...well...this bond went _way_ beyond the realms of attraction. And, despite the fact that it irked her a little how he was so respectful and didn't seem to notice her advances, she respected him even more for it. Buffy knew that if she tried anything with Giles now he'd never respond to her in kind. Giles was a gentleman, he was one of those guys that didn't even exist anymore in the world who would treasure and protect and pull out chairs for you and read something boring yet romantic and poetic to you by the light of the fire. Giles would _never_ cross the line, never even _consider_ touching a girl who was still in high school.

He was a _gentleman_, and no matter _how much_ it annoyed Buffy, it also made her love her just a little bit more.

But, love him or not, he was _way_ late.

Sighing, the slayer walked over to a pay phone to try calling him, but she stopped when she saw the blood van pull up.

The driver got out with his clipboard as two ER doctors came out to meet him.

"Hey fellas." The driver waved.

"Hey." One of the doctors nodded.

"All's well that ends with cute ER doctors, I always say." Buffy watched them go to the back of the van and get out the insulated container. They started back with the driver, and said driver got back into the van...when suddenly Buffy realized something. "Since when do doctors take deliveries?"

The van backed out of the ambulance slot as the doctors waved to the driver.

"See ya." The doctor waved.

The van drove off, and behind it a car engine started, a pair of headlights coming on. The old convertible pulled up into the light as the doctors set the container down, one of them opening the lid and taking out a bag of blood, beginning to suck on it.

The driver of the car got out. "Hey! No sampling the product!"

The doctor vampire hissed but put the bag back down and dropped the lid closed.

Buffy ran to attack, kicking the first doctor vampire down and then the second, and did a roundhouse kick to the driver's face. The first one got up and she tried kicking him gain, but he grabbed her leg and threw her onto the hood of the car. The Slayer scissor kicked him in the neck and he staggered away, falling. A fourth vampire ran up as Buffy got up and took out a stake, turning to attack him.

"_Angel_?" Buffy asked in surprise when she realized who the fourth vampire was.

"Look out Slayer!" Angel snarled as he jumped up onto the car's hood and leapt off to tackle the driver vampire coming at her from behind. Angel punched the vampire in the face but he stayed up, the second vampire jumping up onto the hood and swinging at Buffy.

She ducked the punch and jabbed him in the chest, the first vampire jumping up on the hood too, and Buffy knocked him back off with a punch to the face. She punched the second one in the face, too, and he fell down on the hood on his back. Buffy jumped off of the car and thrust her stake into the first vampire as he tried to get back up. The second one was off the car again and grabbed her by the shirt from behind. She swung around with the stake and got him in the chest also.

Angel, in the mean time, roundhouse kicked the driver and sent him spinning into the car. The vampire quickly at up in the driver's seat and floored it as Angel tried to chase him, but the car raced off, leaving Angel and the blood behind.

Buffy opened the lid to check on it before closing the lid and raising an eyebrow at him. "How did you know about this?"

"It's delivery day." He snorted. "Everyone knows about this." The vampire turned around to face her.

"So, you know, not that I'm not grateful that you helped or anything," The Slayer placed her hands on her hips. "But what exactly are you doing here? Chloe's with the Winch Bros having dinner with their dad."

"I know." He nodded. "That's why I came here now, actually. I wanted to talk to you and Giles without anyone else around."

Buffy frowned. "What is it?"

"Am I the only one who gets the feeling that Chloe's been keeping something from us?" Angel asked, leaning against the wall, frowning at her. "And I don't only mean things like how she knew about that demon Club in Metropolis or what _Dragon's Breath_ is..."

"Wait, what _is_ Dragon's Breath?" Buffy asked, confused.

"A demon drink." Angel shrugged. "Except not a lot of demons can actually drink it. It has infusions of Hellmouth energy in it, and Hellmouth energy, in 'purer' forms, can be deadly to even demons when ingested, so not a lot of them will take the risk of dying. But some can drink it of course, but not a lot of demons will take the risk to drink it."

"And Chloe knew about this _how_?" Buffy asked.

"_My_ question exactly. It's a very obscure drink." Angel frowned. "But she knew about the place as if she'd been there that very day, details still fresh in her mind, and she knew exactly where it was, its layout, and described the doorman _in detail_ to the Watcher's Council on the phone the other night."

Buffy frowned. "Go on."

"But its more than that." Angel pressed. "Its like, ever since the thing with the Master, she's been...different. More silent."

Chloe was _far_ from silent, but Buffy could get what he was talking about. "Well, she _had_ died, you know. That is something that will make you a little weird."

"No, it's not just that." Angel sighed, running a hand over his hair. "She was acting so weird, asking so many weird questions."

Buffy went still. "You're right." She leaned back against the opposite wall, looking down at the contained of blood. "I remember that after that happened she kept asking me how I could be okay with what she was...and then she asked me to do the stupidest thing."

Angel looked up at that. "What? What did she ask you to do?"

Buffy looked up at him. "She said something like, 'If I ever go rogue, I want you to swear you'll slay me'."

Angel's eyes widened in horror. "She said _what_?" His eyes narrowed. "What did _you_ tell her?"

"That I wasn't going to promise something so stupid and to not ask the Winch Bros to do it either or they'd probably be pissed at her." Buffy responded, a little insulted that Angel had ever doubted that she would have answered it any differently. "I know she's freaked because she found out that she's a meteor freak, and every freak she's met has gone darkside, but this is _Chloe_ we're talking about. She's different."

"Yeah..she is." Angel nodded, looking down.

Buffy couldn't keep the small smile off of her face as she noticed the expression on his face. She might be the _Slayer_, but she so _liked_ this vampire. He was obviously really in love with her best friend, and Buffy only hoped one day that Giles would have that expression on _his_ face when talking to someone else about _her_.

"I---I wanted to ask you to keep an extra eye out for her." Angel surprised her by saying. "I'm keeping a close eye on her when I'm with her, and its you and Giles who I trust the most out of her friends, so I wanted to ask you to do the same thing. I---I don't know why I have such a bad feeling, but I do, and I'm worried."

Buffy nodded. "I'll keep a close eye on her, and if I find anything out I'll tell you right away."

"Thank you."

She smiled brightly. "No problem! And, not to be rude or anything, but I gotta go. I'm worried about Giles. He was supposed to meet me here. So, take this to the doctors, okay?"

He nodded, going to pick up the container of blood, offering a word of comfort. "Maybe he's just late."

"Giles?" Buffy snorted. "The man who counts tardiness as, like, the eighth deadly sin?" She snorted and shook her head, walking away and getting a taxi, making it a quick trip to Giles' apartment. Fixing her clothes and hair as she made her way to the door, she took in a deep breath and knocked.

There was movement inside and then Giles opened the viewport and looked out at her before opening the door. "Buffy. I-it's late. Uh, are you alright?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing." Buffy frowned, noticing the scent of alcohol coming off of him.

"Yes, I'm fine, fine. Look. I'm, uh, I'm rather busy a-at the moment, so, uh, I'll see you on Monday at, at school." He started to close the door.

Buffy held it open with her hand. "Giles, did you forget? The hospital, vampires, handy carryout packets of blood?"

"Oh!" His eyes widened. "I'm sorry Buffy! Were you hurt?"

"No. I mean, my feeling a little." She admitted, more worried about him than hurt. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing, nothing's wrong." Giles wouldn't meet her eyes. "I-I'm just in the, uh, middle of something extremely important, and, uh, I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to say good night now." He closed the door in her face, leaving her confused, taken aback, and admittedly hurt.

She could hear hear him on the phone, but turned and left him alone to work, more worried than she'd been before.

Something seriously _bad_ was going on.

* * *

"Yes, I'm, I'm sorry to disturb you." Giles returned to the phone, feeling bad for having dismissed Buffy like that and yet...yet this was more important. "It's, uh, I-I realize it's, uh, five in the morning there, um...Uh, I'm trying to reach Diedre Page. My name is Rupert Giles and, uh, she knows me. It's very important that..." He collapsed in his seat as he heard what the person on the other end of the phone had to say. "I'm terribly sorry. I---I didn't know. When did she pass away?" His heart sank. "Oh...That recently." He took off his glasses and ran his hand over his face. "Umm yes, we were friends when we were young." He sighed. "My condolences."

Hanging up the phone, Giles stared off into space with his fingers to his lips while he considered and remembered. He reached for his drink, the bottle next to it was almost half empty already. The Watcher gulped the rest from the glass and set it back down, thinking another moment before grabbing his pen and crossing out Diedre's name off of a list of five names: Thomas Sutcliff, Philip Henry, Diedre Page, Ethan Rayne and Rupert Giles.

Getting up, Giles went to his bathroom sink and looked into the mirror. He then rolled up his sleeves, and on his left arm, just above the inside elbow was the same tattoo that Philip had had. He reached into the sink full of water, cupped his hands and splashed some on his face before looking up at himself in the mirror.

"So." His face went dark. "You're back."

* * *

In the city morgue, inside of the body storage drawer, Philip Henry reached up and pulled the sheet off of his face, his eyes glowing yellow.

* * *

The next day, Sam, Dean, Cordelia and Jenny headed towards the computer classroom. The three kids had tried to get Chloe to come along to act as chaperone, and make sure that Dean and Cordelia didn't kill each other, but the blonde had grinned and had apologized, saying that she and her father were going to have a father-daughter day and they were just going to have to pretend to _not_ be in kindergarten for a whole day.

"This isn't right." Cordelia complained. "School on a Saturday. It throws off my internal clock."

"When are we gonna need computers for real life, anyway?" Dean wanted to know.

"Hmmm. Let's see." Jenny grinned, deciding to humor them as she unlocked the classroom door so they could wait inside for the late students. "There's home, school, work, games..."

"Y'know, computers are on the way out." Dean decided he should inform her. "I think paper's gonna make a big comeback."

"And the abacus." Sam smirked.

"The _what_?" Dean made a face, turning to look at his brother in confusion.

"My point exactly." Sam laughed.

"Geek."

"Idiot."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

"_Boys_!" Jenny stopped them before they could continue. "Language. Now take your seats in front of a computer please." Waiting until they'd done as asked, Jenny started. "Okay, while we're waiting on the other students, were going to do....Buffy!"

Dean blinked. "What sort of class _is_ this?"

Cordelia raised her hand. "Is that _mandatory_? Because I don't plan _experimentation_ until at _least_ college."

Dean turned to look at her with eyes wide, completely missing Buffy as the blonde entered the room.

"I need to talk to you guys." The blonde got straight to the point. "It's Giles."

"Is he alright?" Sam asked, worried.

"I don't know." Buffy admitted, hugging herself. "Uh, he didn't show up when he was supposed to last night, and then, when I went over to his place, he was acting... well, very anti-Giles. He wouldn't let me in, and he looked really bad. I-I think he might've been...I think he was _drinking_."

"He was home alone drinking?" Jenny asked.

"And it wasn't _tea_." Buffy nodded.

"That does sound strange." Jenny agreed.

"So, none of you guys have noticed anything differently lately?" Buffy asked.

"No." Sam shook his head.

"Not really." Jenny shrugged.

"Nothing _weird_?" Buffy pressed, obviously not ready to let the issue die.

"Nope." Dean responded.

"No," Cordelia shook her head. "He seemed perfectly normal yesterday when I saw him talking to the police."

Everyone stared at her.

"And you waited until _now_ to tell us this _because_...?" Buffy asked, unable to believe it.

"I didn't think it was important." Cordelia responded.

"We understand." Dean replied with mock sincerity. "It wasn't about _you_."

"What were the police talking to him about?" Buffy wanted to know.

"Something about a homicide." Cordelia leaned back in her chair, playing with a strand of her hair.

"That's it!" Buffy announced. "I'm going to Giles' office and I'm calling him right now!"

With that she marched out of the computers room and headed towards Giles' office.

Entering the library she was about to disappear into Giles' office when she heard something in the stacks and stopped in her tracks to look.

Seeing a shadow move across one of the bookcases in the anteroom she went up the stairs and through the french doors, slowly walking down the main aisle and looking around and down each side aisle. Sensing movement she looks up and sees a man pushing one of the bookcases over on her, and she dashed away just in time to avoid being crushed under the bookcase. The little man tried to make his escape but he was limping heavily and couldn't run, making it easy for the already irritated Slayer to grab him by the arm and turn him around.

"_You_!" She exclaimed, once she got a good look at his face and recognized him. "You were in that costume shop!"

"Oh, I'm pleased you remember." He tried to go.

She stopped him. "You sold me that dress for Halloween, and nearly got us all _killed_!"

"But you looked great." He replied.

Having had enough, she punched him squarely in the jaw.

Crying out in pain, he straightened back up, holding his jaw. "So now we're even?"

"I'll let you know when we're even." Buffy growled. "What're you doing here?"

"Snooping around."

"Honesty. Nice touch."

"It's one of my virtues." He suddenly smiled. "Not really."

"I've got a great idea." Buffy sneered at him. "Why don't I just call the police and have you arrested for breaking and entering, and then I can get back to my fun Saturday?"

"Yes, the police." The annoying stranger smiled. "Well, they'll have all those questions, and they'll really need Rupert to answer them all."

At Giles' name Buffy went still, losing some of her fury. "You know Giles?"

"We go back. _Way_ back." The tiny, annoying man smirked. "You don't happen to know where he is, do you?"

* * *

"I wonder what your mother would think if she came back and found out about all of this." Gabe sighed, looking up at the clouds in the sky as he and Chloe enjoyed a picnic in the park. "Would she be able to deal with this situation better than I would or would she be just as incompetent as I am?"

"You're not incompetent." Chloe frowned, looking down at the daisy she'd plucked. "You're doing a lot better than I ever had hoped. I mean, I know you're not happy with what I do or who I'm with, but you're still doing your best to support me and my decisions, and be there for me."

"Thank you honey." He smiled, reaching forwards and holding her hands in his. "I just think that it would have been nice for you to have your mother at a time like this. Puberty is hard on a girl as it is without having vampires and hellmouths to deal with. I think it would have done you some good."

_No, dad, it wouldn't have_.

Chloe remained silent though, tightening her grip on his hand.

How could she tell him that she knew that her mother wasn't just out there, living a different life, but here, dead? That she'd walked in the place where her mother's bones were scattered?

How could she tell him that her mother had tried to kill her as a child? How could she tell him that the person he'd once loved so much had been a completely different person than the picture he had in his heart?

How could she ever tell him that she mightn't even be his daughter?

She _couldn't_, so she kept quiet and just tightened her grip even more.

Yet another secret to guard in her overfilling vault of lies.

* * *

"_Hello?_"

Buffy held the receiver tighter at the sound of his voice. "Giles, it's me."

He exhaled. "Buffy, u-unless this is an emergency, I'll see you on Monday."

She frowned. He was trying to cut her out again. "What's the Mark of Eyghon?" There was silence. "_Giles_?"

Besides her, Ethan snorted in wry amusement. "Cat got his tongue?"

She glared at him before speaking into the receiver once more. "I'm in your office with someone who claims to be an old friend of yours. Ethan Rayne?"

"He's there with you?" Giles sounded urgent. "Listen, Buffy, you're...you're in grave danger while Ethan's there. I want you to put the phone down and get out of the library as soon as possible."

"I'm not going anywhere until you give me some answers!" Buffy snapped, done with this whole situation, but before she could open her mouth again to let him have it, a man came crashing through the window in Giles' office...eyes flashing yellow.

Ethan stepped behind Buffy and held her in front of him, causing her to drop the phone.

The man with the glowing yellow eyes came out of Giles' office like a zombie, and straight for Buffy. She kicked him in the chest and rolled over the counter only for him to come through the door and at her again.

Ethan climbed over the counter too.

"Ethan!" The admittedly _dead_ looking man moaned.

Dean came in, followed by the others, obviously having heard the noise.

As Sam rushed to try and help Buffy, Dean pushed Ethan up against the counter but got pushed aside.

The doors were held wide open by the women, and when Ethan tried to make his escape passed them Cordelia kneed him in the crotch.

He collapsed.

Dean looked up at Cordelia in awe and slight intimidation.

While Sam tried to restrain the dead guy from behind, Buffy looked around her and spotted the open cage door. Together she and Sam forced the man/creature/thing inside and locked it.

She then turned to Ethan, who was still lying on the floor, withering in agony.

* * *

Fury and terror filled Giles' soul all the way towards the school. He'd tried staying away from Buffy, tried to keep her safe...but he should have known that that girl would somehow found a way to get herself in the thick of things. Now she was in danger, and she was with Ethan, and she needed him to be there with her! He wouldn't never forgive himself if something happened to her and it was his fault. Buffy was...Buffy was...Buffy was the oddest Slayer he'd ever met, completely disregarded the rules and everything he'd been taught to value as a Watcher, and yet he couldn't be prouder of someone as he was of her. And somehow, somehow she'd gotten under his skin, his Ripper persona giving a little peek back out into the world whenever she was in danger.

Like with the Catherine Madison situation...or the Halloween situation...and now _this_ one.

If Ethan had gotten Buffy hurt Giles was going to _kill_ him.

Barging into the library, murderous intentions in his every move, he looked up, seeing everyone there. "Is everyone alright?"

Ethan was sitting on a chair at the table being watcher by Buffy, who was fine and okay and smiling at him.

"Super!" Cordelia announced, seeming proud of herself. "I kicked a guy!" She pointed to Ethan.

"Good girl." Giles patted her shoulder as he walked passed her, heading to Buffy, looking her over, placing his hands on her shoulders and wincing when he saw the slight bruise on her cheek. "Are you okay?"

She seemed surprised before ducking her head for a moment and then looking up at him with the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. "I'm great."

He smiled at her before turning to the others. "What are you all doing here?"

"Deadguy here interrupted our tutorial." Sam explained.

Dean turned to the 'deadboy' in question, from where he was locked in the cage. "Been meaning to thank you for that."

Giles turned and watched in horror as Philip's body jumped at Dean, the cage keeping him from tearing at the boy. "It _can't_ be."

"Yes it can." Ethan finally spoke, causing Giles to finally turn towards him. "Hello, Ripper."

Giles restrained every killing desire in his body. "I thought I told you to leave town."

"You did. I didn't." Ethan winced when Giles took a step towards him. "Shop's lease is paid till the end of the month."

"Uh," Cordelia leaned towards Dean. "Why did he call him Ripper?"

Dean shrugged.

Giles grabbed Ethan by the hair on the back of his neck and lifted him out of his chair. "You should've left when I told you."

Cordelia's eyes went wide in understanding. "_Ohhhh_."

"Giles?!" Buffy gasped in surprise.

Giles winced, realizing that she was seeing a glimpse of a side of him that he'd never wanted her to.

His glare darkened on Ethan, the blame for _everything_ lying on his shoulders. "You put these people in danger. The people I _care_ about."

"If you cared so much about them, why didn't _you_ leave town?" Ethan pushed Giles' arm away. "You've been having the dreams, I know. I have. We both know what's coming."

"What dreams?" Buffy placed a hand on Giles' arm. "What's going on?"

Something of the fury in Giles calmed at her gentle touch.

"Tell her, Ripper." Ethan taunted.

"_Giles_?" Buffy whispered.

Giles turned to Buffy, opening his mouth, unable to bare that tone in her voice.

Suddenly Philip broke the cage door and threw it open into Buffy, knocking her out as Dean quickly moved away and pushed Cordelia with him to safety.

"Buffy!" Giles cried out in horror as he scrambled to her air.

Sam got in between Ethan and Philip, kicking him in the chest three times, forcing him back against the cage. Philip slid down to the floor, but got back up and came for Sam again, but before he could reach Sam, his eyes went wide and he began to convulse before he collapsed to the floor next to Buffy, disintegrating into a puddle of slime before their very eyes, spreading out.

Everyone stared.

"Now _there's_ something you don't see everyday." Dean exclaimed, running a hand over his head.

"I'm gonna be in therapy till I'm thirty." Cordelia bemoaned from his side, holding onto his shirt without even seeming to realize what she was doing.

Sam looked around. "Where's Ethan?"

The little rodent had ran off in the chaos.

Giles looked up and growled at the thought of Ethan escaping while Buffy lay unconscious, thus not noticing the slime oozing its way to Buffy, making contact with her hand.

Suddenly Buffy took in a deep breath, regaining consciousness, eyes flying open and gazing up at him.

Giles looked down at her, worried, hesitating a second before reaching down and tenderly removing a strand of hair out of her face. "Are you alright, Buffy?"

_"Ow_." She flinched, cradling her head in her hand as she tried to sit up.

"Careful!" Giles reached forwards, arms going around the unsteady Slayer, drawing her into his chest.

Buffy groaned in pain.

"Can you stand?" Giles asked, helping her up slowly.

"I---."

He didn't wait for her to answer, picking her up into his arms.

"This is what happens when you have school on Saturday." Cordelia told Dean before realizing that she was holding onto his shirt and let go as if burnt.

Dean, who'd realized it the same time she had, was giving her a smug grin.

Buffy leaned into Giles, closing her eyes.

That was why he never saw the way they flashed yellow like a cat before her lids closed shut.

* * *

"We haven't done this since you were a kid." Gabe laughed as they continued to tear the bag of bread they'd brought with them into pieces and feed it to the many ducks and geese of the small pond in the park. "I remember how we used to do this before your mom left." He sighed. "We stopped doing a lot of things after your mom left, huh?"

"Dad, you're a great parent." Chloe leaned her head against his shoulder, trying to fight the weird feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if something was wrong. "I didn't miss having a mother because I had _you_, and you loved me enough for _two_ parents."

"I'm glad you think so." He smiled down at her.

She smiled up at him, pushing away the feeling, unwilling to give up this moment with her father for the hellmouth.

* * *

Dean went over to the others as soon as he saw Giles lay Buffy out on the backseat of his car, get into the front seat, and drive away. Ethan had escaped, Buffy was hurt, Giles was all closed lips, not wanting to tell them anything about anything, and Chloe's phone was off, which meant that they were going to have to get to the bottom of this by themselves.

"We have work to do." Dean announced, looking at his troops. "Sam, I want you to find out anything and everything you can about the Mark of Eyghon."

"I'll try the 'Net, but 'Mark of Eyghon' sounds like Giles and his books sorta deal." Sam warned.

"Then we hit the books." Dean replied.

Sam nodded and got up, heading up into the stacks.

"Jenny, dig through some of Giles' personal files and see what you can find." Dean continued issuing out commands.

"Okay." Jenny nodded, going towards Giles' office.

Cordelia hopped off of the counter and smiled at Dean.

He looked at her warily. "What?"

"You pushed me out of the way and shielded me with your body." She informed him.

He looked away. "Don't know what you're talking about. I was trying to get to safety and you were in my way."

She chuckled. "If you say so." And with that she turned to follow after Jenny and help her snoop through Giles' personal things.

Dean watched her go before sighing and taking in a deep breath, calling himself a hundred ugly names and wondering, for the millionth time, why he could never just say or do what he really wanted to when it came to Cordelia Chase.

* * *

"Thanks for bringing me here." Buffy smiled tiredly and with a hint of pain as she laid down on his sofa. "I don't think I could explain this away to my mom so easily."

Giles hesitated a second before walking around the couch and sitting down next to her. "Buffy...I'm so very sorry about all of this." He sighed, lowered his head and taking off his glasses. "I never meant for you to be involved in any of this. I tried so hard to..."

"Giles...you can't always protect me." She whispered. "You know that."

"I know you're strong, Buffy." He sighed. "But you're still so _young_. I know you think I push you too hard, but I worry that if you die because I've been slack in your training..."

"No one's ever completely safe in this world, Giles." Buffy reached up and surprised him by stroking his cheek. "Don't you know that by now?"

* * *

"Aha!" Sam announced, causing everyone to turn and look at him. "It's not Egyptian, it's Etruscan" he went over to Dean with his book "mistaken for Egyptian by the design pattern, but any fool can see it predates their iconology. Look, the Mark of Eyghon, worn by his initiates. 'Eyghon, also called the Sleepwalker, can only exist in this reality by possessing an unconscious host. Temporary possession imbues the host with a euphoric feeling of power.'"

"Yeah," Dean frowned. "But what about _non-temporary_?"

Sam continued reading. "Unless the proper rituals are observed, the possession is permanent, and Eyghon will be born from within the host."

"I'm guessing _ewwww_." Cordelia decided.

"Listen to this." Sam frowned. "Once called, Eyghon can also take possession of the dead, but its demonic energy soon disintegrates the host, and it must jump to the nearest dead or unconscious person to continue living."

Jenny frowned. "I still don't get what this has to do with Rupert."

"I don't know about Giles," Sam looked up from the book. "But ancient sects used to induce possession for bacchanals and orgies."

"Okay!" Cordelia made a face. "Giles and orgies...coulda lived without ever combining those two in my head."

Jenny looked amused.

"I just don't get something though." Cordelia suddenly pouted. "The dead guy's all puddly now."

"What's not to get?" Dean asked, confused.

"So the demon's gone?" Cordelia asked, turning towards him. "There was no one dead to jump into. I mean, we're all not dead, right? Then why did that Ethan guy run away and why is Giles still all angsty and caffeinated?"

Sam suddenly went still. "No one's dead..."

Dean's eyes widened as he realized what his brother had only seconds before. "But Buffy was unconscious."

* * *

As Giles tarried in the kitchen making tea, Buffy looked around the apartment and smirked as she went to the phone, yanking the cord from the wall.

"What was that?" Giles called from the kitchen.

Buffy quickly hid the cord. "What was what?"

"I thought I heard something." Giles responded curiously, coming out of the kitchen with the tea.

"I didn't." The Slayer responded, giving him her most innocent smile.

Seeing it, Giles seemed to be soothed somewhat and smiled back. "Here." He handed her a cup. "Drink that, and then I'll drive you home."

Buffy took the cup and drank a sip of the tea. "You could take me home." She then set the cup down. "_Or_ you could take advantage of me in my weakened state."

"Uh...._Buffy_?" Giles's voice _might_ have been a squeak as he put his own cup down and moved away slowly. "What are you...?"

"C'mon Giles..." She purred, hips rocking in a seductive motion as she slowly followed him, like a predator sure of a kill. "You can't tell me that I'm the only one who feels this bond between us. I'm the _only one_ able to affect you, to change you in seconds from my sweet, mild-mannered Watcher to a furious warrior ready to destroy nations to insure my safety."

Giles gulped, continuing to back up. "W-w-w-watchers and s-s-slayers have a b-b-bond..."

"Bullshit." Buffy snorted. "Do you forget that in LA I had a Watcher before you? And I did care for him, its true, but it's _nothing_ compared to what you and I have." She backed him up against the wall, pressing herself into him, head tilted back. "Or are you saying you'd feel the same way for any other Slayer as you do for me?"

Giles' eyes widened in shock...as if...as if he hadn't thought of any of this before.

She purred in delight.

"B-B-Buffy...." His voice was cracking. "I---m-m-maybe there might be s-some truth in what y-y-you're saying, but n-now isn't the right time."

"Oh, there's never been a better time." Buffy contradicted, reaching up and tracing his lips with her finger.

His breathing accelerated before he pushed her away. "It's not _right_. I would be taking advantage. You're too _young_ and impressionable and I care too much for you to ever do something like that to you in these contexts!"

Buffy looked like she was going to press the issue, and then she growled and rolled her eyes. "God, you just don't _change_, do you?"

"What?" Giles frowned, confused.

"Its not right, it wouldn't be proper, people might get hurt." Buffy mocked him, pacing the floor furiously before turning to him. "You're like a _woman_, Ripper. You cry at every funeral. You _never_ had the strength for me. You don't _deserve_ me." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "But guess what? You've _got_ me." She took his head and spoke in a deep male voice. "_Under your skin_." Grabbing his hair, she lifted jerked his head down and kissed him roughly, and when she'd pulled back she had started the transformation into Eyghon. "Was it good for you?" She smashed his head into the wall. "Aw, you never had the stomach. But that's okay. 'Cause I'm about to rip it out!"

She pulled back and he collapsed to his knees, blown and disoriented by the blow.

Buffy/Eyghon smirked and went to finish it when the door was kicked open and Dean entered, rushing towards her as Sam followed, and Jenny and Cordelia rushed to Giles.

It took both Dean and Sam together to be able to keep up with the possessed Slayer, both attacking fiercely and rapidly, knowing their best bet would be to somehow knock her unconscious again. And they seemed to be gaining in the fight, but then Buffy/Eyghon laughed and ran, diving through the window, escaping.

Dean and Sam exchanged looks before turning to look at Giles, where Jenny was crouched down besides him and Cordelia was leaving yet _another_ voicemail on Chloe's answering machine.

"Are you alright?" Jenny asked Giles.

"_Buffy_!" Giles seemed to be lost in his own nightmare. "Oh, _God_!"

"Giles, how do we stop this?" Sam asked, coming up towards them.

"Oh God." Giles whispered in horror. "What have I _done_?"

"Talk to us, Giles!" Dean reached his brother's side. "You're starting to freak us out!"

"I'm sorry." He whispered, finally looking at them.

"Don't be sorry Rupert." Jenny sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"What's all the depression about anyway?" Cordelia wanted to know. "You all fight monsters. It's what you do. They show up, they scare us, you all beat them up or hurt their feelings and they go away. This isn't any different."

"This time it's Buffy." Dean responded, not looking at her.

"Exactly. And if it had been any of you losers _she_ wouldn't be all emo." Cordelia responded with a snort. "She'd be be grilling Giles on _what_ was going on and how to kill it."

"This thing is different." Giles spoke in a dead tone.

"Because you don't know how to stop it?" Jenny asked.

His eyes darkened in anger. "Because I created it!"

There was silence.

Then Cordelia broke it. "Okay, rewind, stop, and replay."

"I was twenty-one, studying history at Oxford." Giles sighed, leaning back against the wall, not bothering to get up. "And, of course, the occult by night. I _hated_ it. The tedious grind of study, the...overwhelming pressure of my destiny. I dropped out, I went to London..." He exhaled. "I fell in with the worst crowd that would have me. We practiced magicks. Small stuff for pleasure or gain. And Ethan and I discovered something..._bigger_."

"Eyghon." Sam guessed.

"Yes." The Watcher nodded. "One of us would...um...go into a deep sleep, and the other would, uh, summon him. It was an extraordinary high..._God_, we were fools."

"You couldn't control it." Jenny sighed.

"One of us, Randall, he lost control." Giles closed his eyes. "Eyghon took him whole. We tried to exorcise the demon from Randall but it killed him. No. _We_ killed him. We thought we were free of the demon after that, but now he's back, and one by one he will kill us all."

"Who's still alive out of your group?" Dean's eyes narrowed.

"Just Ethan and I." Giles sighed, bringing his hands to his face. "I spent the nice trying to get into contact with the others. They all died. Recently, each a couple of days after the other."

"It's going to go for Ethan than." Dean stood, turning to Sam. "You stay here and keep an eye on Giles in case it decides to turn back. I'm going to go find the rodent."

"I don't know how to stop it without killing Buffy." Giles whispered.

"We'll figure something out." Dean promised.

* * *

Chloe smiled as she sat down and ate ice cream outside the new ice cream parlor, listening to her father talk about his job and how they were sending him off for a conference in New York for a week, and she knew that he was doing his best to try and convince her to skip school (and thus Slaying duties) and go with him for the week, but she wasn't backing down, and from the sigh he let out she realized that he was giving in and admitting defeat. While it was a little annoying at how much he tried to 'subtly' protect her like this, she smiled, knowing that he was only like this because he loved her and wanted her safe. It was, it was amazing to be able to talk to her father about what was going on in her life, not have to lie to him (well, about _everything_ at least) and while he still fought and complained and worried about her safety, he was slowly getting used to the idea that this was his daughter, and that she probably would never have the white picket-fence dream he'd had for her.

She frowned when she saw Dean racing passed them, going as fast as he could, face determined and dark.

Gabe frowned. "Was that..._Dean_?"

"Yes." Chloe nodded. "I wonder...what's going on."

"You don't think it's anything..._work_ related...do you?" Her father asked, eyes narrowed, still looking down where Dean had disappeared to.

"No...I...I don't think so." Chloe frowned. "They would have called me if it were."

And yet, and yet she couldn't help turning in her seat and looking in the direction that Dean had disappeared to, that uneasy feeling she'd had in the pit of her stomach all day growing only stronger.

* * *

"Ethan?" Dean called, entering the costume shop and closing the door behind him. "Ethan?" He looked around. "Giles told us everything. Look, it's coming for you."

"And you came to protect me?" Ethan snorted, appearing from where he'd been cowering behind the counter. "I'm touched.

"Don't worry, it's nothing personal." Dean sneered. "To protect English we have to protect you."

"How does Ripper inspire such goodness?" Ethan asked, seeming truly curious.

"'Cause he's Giles." Dean shrugged.

"And I'm not." Ethan announced. "Still, lucky me."

"Hmmm. Lucky you." Dean looked around, wondering if they had time to get to where the others were or if Eyghon/Buffy were on the way.

"Well, we can't run. Eyghon will find us." Ethan pulled up his sleeve and showed his tattoo. "This mark's like a homing beacon."

"Not much into running anyway." Dean replied, wondering just how safe this building was and if they could fortify it somehow. "I prefer a smack down."

"Aren't we manly?"

"One of us is." The teenager snorted before finally turning to face Ethan. "You're going to hide until this is all over."

"Excellent plan."

"Is there a way out through the back?" Dean wanted to know, a bit disgusted by the rodent.

"Uh, there's a back door."

"Good, we can go out through there and meet the others at the school." Dean moved to go first and lead the way, never noticing Ethan reaching for a mannequin arm before the small man hit him with it, knocking him out.

* * *

Finishing her ice cream uneasily, Chloe finally couldn't take it anymore, reaching for her pocket and pulling out her cellular, about to call Sam to find out if he knew what was going on...when she realized her phone was dead. Her battery must have died early on into her day out with her father.

Cursing herself for not listening to the pull of the Hellmouth, Chloe stood. "Dad I---."

He put up his hands, grinning at her. "Get out of here already."

She smiled and reached over, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You're the greatest." And with that she took off in the direction Dean had headed in, not knowing where he was or where he was going, but instead following the tug of the Hellmouth.

* * *

In his shop, Ethan hummed as he worked.

Dean was lying face down on a table with his arms tied together underneath as he woke up.

"Wakey, wakey." Ethan chimed quite chirpily. "You're missing all the fun."

"What fun?" Dean groaned, head killing him.

"Your initiation." Ethan replied as he set down a tray of tattooing instruments.

"You know what?" Dean struggled against his bounds. "I'm not real interested in joining your club."

"Too late. I already voted you in." Ethan chuckled. "Y'know, I hope you're not taking this personally. I actually kinda like you. It's just, it's just that I like myself a whole lot more." He paused. "Think of it karmically, this is, this is _really_ big for your soul."

Dean continued to struggle.

"You know, taking my place with the demon, giving so that others may live." Ethan prompted.

"I'm going to _kill_ you when I get free." Dean promised. "Will that blow the whole karma thing?"

"Sweet child." Ethan laughed, picking up the tattoo ink and needle. "Now, this may sting a little just at first. But don't worry, that'll go away once the searing pain kicks in." He leaned over the struggling teenager to behind his work. "You can go ahead and scream if you like."

* * *

Giles probably would have gone after Dean in the Buffy-search if it weren't for the fact that as soon as they got to the school he'd fainted. Apparently the blow Buffy had given him when she'd bashed his head into the wall had been worse than he'd let on. Jenny and Sam had laid Giles down on the floor in his office, and then the three of them congregated outside of it.

"Okay, we've done the research." Sam turned to the two females. "Now we just have to figure out how to use it."

"Why don't we find it another dead body for the demon to jump into?"

"Yes! At the cemetery!" Cordelia agreed.

"Well, that won't kill the demon. It'll only give it a change of scenery." Suddenly something clicked in Sam's mind. "I've got it!"

He ran for the phone.

* * *

Ethan pulled back, admiring the tattoo he'd finished on the back of Dean's neck. "Hmm. I think I missed my calling as an artist."

"Eyghon is the _least_ of your worries now. Dean growled. "Because I'm going to _kill_ you when I get loose."

Ethan, sleeves rolled up, picked up a bottle of sulfuric acid.

Dean hissed when he saw it. "I'm going to _castrate_ you, and _then_ kill you."

"Oooh, promises promises." Ethan snorted. "Now relax. I'm finished with you. This is for me."

Dean glared at Ethan, and in his struggles he found an exposed screw on the underside of the table, beginning to scrape his rope against it.

Ethan steeled himself for the burn of the acid, slowly pouring it onto his Mark of Eyghon tattoo.

Dean looked at him as if her were insane.

Ethan did his best not to scream but let out a few grunts of pain.

Dean, using this distraction, put more effort into scraping the rope against the screw.

* * *

Chloe followed the anomaly in the Hellmouth energy, using it to trek her way through the maze of buildings and roads, stopping when she saw Buffy walking towards Ethan's store, where they'd gotten their costumes...but there was something terribly wrong with Buffy. She was walking oddly, her face a mixture of two different faces.

Clenching her fists, Chloe called out to it. "Hey you!"

Buffy turned towards the sound of her voice, body blending in with the shadows as the sun set on the horizon.

"I take _one_ day off, _one day_, and you get _possessed_?" Chloe shook her head in disbelief at her best friend.

"You are...Chloe..." The voice was deep, hesitating and unsure, as if shifting through memories, trying to find information on her.

"And _you_ are not supposed to be in there." She replied, frowning. "So get _out_ of my best friend!"

"This...energy..." Buffy turned towards her, walking towards her, curious. "I've...can it be?"

Chloe went wary immediately, trying to close up all connection she had to the Hellmouth, to stop emitting that energy that seemed to attract everything evil and undesirable. "Stay back buddy."

"Don't you want your friend back?" Buffy's male, deep voice taunted.

Chloe went still. "What's the catch?"

Those feverish eyes glowed a pale, sickly yellow. "How's about a trade?"

Her eyes went wide. "You wanna body jump?"

"I like your energy better, hers....its _fights_ me." Buffy's male voice grumbled. "It makes being in here...uncomfortable. But _your_ energy..." Her hand went up to cup Chloe's face before bringing Buffy's face closer. "It's _inviting_."

Chloe's stomach went sick.

What exactly did it say about her that while everything about Buffy made possession uncomfortable, everything about _her_ welcomed it?

But she didn't have the time to continue wondering this since Buffy head-bucked her with terrifying force, Chloe's knees buckling under her as everything went black.

* * *

Buffy woke up with a groan, hand to her head. Things were hazy and the last thing she remembered was talking to Giles in the library before a pain in the back of her head and then...and then apparently she was in an alleyway, unconscious. Sitting up, she looked around her, confused. What exactly had happened since the library? And what was she doing out here?

_Giles_.

Buffy's eyes widened.

Despite the pain in her head, Buffy pushed on, hurrying out of the alleyway towards the first payphone she could find, fishing in her pockets for change before dialing the phone in Giles' office. "Come on...come on..." She whispered as it rang and rang, about to cut off, when suddenly it was answered.

"Hello?"

"Sam!" Buffy gasped, not knowing whether to be relieved or worried. "What happened? Why am I in an alley? Is Giles alright? What's going on?"

"_Buffy_?" Sam seemed shocked. "You're alright?..._You're alright_." His voice then went urgent. "Buffy! What do you remember? Is there anyone there with you?"

"I remember _nothing_. Just getting hit on the back of the head and---and then I awoke here."

"It's jumped." Sam whispered. "Buffy, you were possessed by a demon that jumps bodies into people who are unconscious. The demon wants to kill Ethan and Giles. Dean went to find Ethan at the Costume shop but I can't get in contact with him. The demon must have jumped your body into someone else's. I need you to go and check on Dean and---."

But he was talking to himself, as Buffy was already rushing away towards the store.

* * *

It was dark night, and despite being alone and unarmed in the dark of Sunnydale's park, no bloodthirsty creature dared go near the blonde fallen on the ground, hugging herself tightly in the fetal position, body jerking and convulsing violently, eyes flashing green then gold then green then gold. Her face contorted, hers one second, a terrifying visage the other, screams and grunts and inhuman sounds of torture escaping her lips as her back arched to a nearly impossible degree.

Her body was thrown against a park bench, mouth opening wide in an inaudible scream, face going through a few more contortions when Eyghon suddenly appeared, momentarily gaining the upper hand. After a moment her face shifted back to normal, then back to Eyghon, then back to normal again.

She was thrown to the ground.

Her eyes were wide, her hands clawing at the air in front of her, green ooze trying to make its way out of her pores...only to be sucked back in.

"How _pretty_!" The dark haired vampire giggled and clapped as she watched the demon try desperately to leave its host, before being sucked right back in, its agony visible on the blonde's face. "Stars beneath the skin shining bright."

Her companion stood, amazed. "I hadn't realized that she was this strong yet."

"Every day the sun shines duller, colder, until it turns to ice." Drusilla began to sway as if to music, watching as explosions of green light began to show beneath the skin. "Devoured from within to fill the unending darkness. So hungry, the predator in the night."

The person in the shadows raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head, looking back at Chloe. "It's growing to an incredible degree. Already she's losing control of it, her body attracting energies and luring them before devouring it whole, consuming the energy, converting it into hers."

"Soon." Drusilla whispered to her mystery companion.

"Yeah." The person nodded. "Soon."

* * *

"I can't believe Ethan tattooed you, got rid of his own tattoo, and left you bound and gagged to be killed by Eyghon while he skipped town." Sam growled as a now freed Dean, and Buffy met the others in the library.

Angel watched as Buffy went to sit next to Giles, who was still sleeping off the blow to his head. Angel had sensed no internal bleeding or anything wrong with him, but the Watcher needed to sleep.

Buffy sat down next to him and carefully lifted his head so that it was resting on her lap.

"We need to find out who it jumped to after it left Buffy, and why it didn't come after you." Sam told his brother. "I had Angel here because I was planning on forcing Eyghon to jump into _him_ so his demon could fight it...but with this twist...well..."

"We need to find the new host, quickly." Jenny announced.

"It should come look for me and Giles. Shouldn't it?" Dean asked. "Considering that we're carrying the marks?"

"It should." Sam nodded. "We'll just have to keep you two here, and someone needs to go over to Chloe's and let her know what's going on."

"I'll do it." Angel replied. "I'm going there anyway."

Sam wouldn't look at him, but he nodded. "At least she had a good, peaceful saturday with her father."

* * *

Standing up, Chloe began to brush herself off.

She looked up, smirking.

In the darkness, green eyes flashed gold.

* * *

**Review?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural/Buffy the Vampire Slayer.**

* * *

_ Look at them, the cattle_.

Chloe twitched, shaking her head against the words spoken in her thoughts, sounding as if they'd been spoken by her...but she knew that they weren't hers.

Ever since the situation with Eyghon a couple of days before, Chloe had been fighting that voice. It was as if every dark thought that she'd ever had, or never even had, were all being whispered in her ear. She didn't remember what had happened to her after being knocked out, but obviously since she was in control once more Eyghon must have jumped bodies...or something. She---she hadn't told the others about what had happened, and Chloe couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach as she realized that the things she kept hidden from those she loved the most was growing. There were so many things she was keeping to herself, things she didn't trust _anyone_ with, not even _Clark_ had been told about the Eyghon thing because..._inviting_? Her vibes were _inviting_ to the forces of evil?

The others were still on the alert, waiting for Eyghon to attack any second, and Chloe didn't know whether to feel wary along with them or guilty.

Buffy hadn't remembered anything from her time as Eyghon, but the Slayer had admitted to Chloe that she think she might have done something odd because of how Giles had been acting towards her---when he wasn't apologizing and being overprotective and...well...it was the way he looked at her thoughtfully, in a way that he hadn't before, that made her curious as hell what had happened when the demon had been in her body.

"Are you a people person, or do you prefer keeping your own company?" Dean read out loud as he sat down at a table filling out his test. Sunnydale High was having a career fair in the lounge, and everyone were taking career aptitude tests. Dean turned to Sam. "Which am I?"

"People person." Sam didn't even look up to think about that, answering his own test.

Dean began to answer when he noticed Cordelia.

Looking up and forgetting all about his test, he watched her approach their table slowly, holding a clipboard and taking her test as she walked into the lounge accompanied by two of her groupies.

"I aspire to help my fellow man." She marked her test. "Check. As long as he's not smelly, dirty or gross." She walked passed the table.

Dean turned in his seat to watch her. "Cordelia Chase, always ready to give a helping hand to the rich and the pretty."

She stopped for a second, turning her head slightly and gave him a sarcastic smile before looking him up and down.

Dean met her gaze intensely.

She smirked and flicked her hair over her shoulder before walking away, hips swaying.

Dean bit on his bottom lip as he watched her go.

_Look at them. Animals. All they care about is eating and mating._

Chloe brought a hand to her head, closing her eyes tightly.

_**SHUT UP!**_

Sam slapped Dean up the back of his head, once _again_ without looking up from his test.

"Fuck!" Dean hissed, flinching, finally tearing his gaze away from Cordelia to glare at his younger brother as he rubbed the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"You're thinking with your downstairs brain again." Sam murmured, biting on the pencil's eraser, a frown touching his face as he looked up at Chloe. "Do I like shrubs?"

She kept her eyes closed. "I don't know."

Sam leaned in towards her, hand going to her back. "Are you okay?"

"Migraine." She quickly answered. "Probably because I didn't have breakfast this morning."

"You want a power bar?" Dean offered.

"I'm fine. It'll pass." Chloe took in a deep breath.

"Uhhh!" Buffy threw down her pencil. "I shouldn't even be bothering with this! It's all mootville for me. No matter _what _my aptitude test says, we already know my deal."

"High risk, sub-minimum wage..." Dean nodded, gaze returning to his test. "Pointy wooden things."

"_Exactly_." Buffy leaned back in her seat.

"Then why are you even taking the test?" Chloe asked, voice a little rough as she rubbed her throbbing temples.

"It's Principal Snyder's hoop of the week." Buffy was pouting. It was audible. "He's not happy unless I'm jumping. Believe me, I would _not_ be here otherwise."

"You're not even a little bit curious about what kinda career you could've had?" Sam asked in surprised. "If you weren't the Slayer, I mean."

"Not really." The Slayer shook her head. "It's just that unless Hell freezes over and every vamp in Sunnydale put in for early retirement, I'd say my future was pretty much a non-issue."

* * *

Inside of the warehouse, Drusilla stood at one end of a large table dealing tarot cards, and at the other end Spike was looking on as Dalton tried to translate the ancient text in the book they had stolen from the library.

"Read it again." Spike ordered.

"Well, I'm not sure. It could be, uh..." He shrugged with his hands. "Deprimere...ille...bubula...linter."

Spike paged through the dictionary. "Debase, the beef, canoe."

Dalton looked up at Spike and smiled a stupid smile.

Spike could not abide him and punched him in the face. "Why does that strike me as not right?"

Dalton looked at him sheepishly and turned his attention to the book.

Drusilla pulled out the Lovers Card, the Hangman Card, and then the Death Card, frowning slightly as she did so. She could understand the way the first two applied to the situation, the stars had given her glimpses of things in the future no other eye could see...but they were not giving her a clear answer on the meaning of this last card, whether it be literal death or a transformation.

Like from a human to a vampire...or something else entirely.

Frustrated at the disagreements in the stars' messages, Dru looked up. "Spike, dance with princess?" She held out her hand.

Spike banged the book down on the table, glaring at her. "Give us some peace, would you? Can't you see I'm working?"

Drusilla pulled her hand back and began to pout and whine like a puppy.

While she felt quite tender regard for her childe, and knew that he loved her, things between them had been changing the last couple hundred years. They'd been spending more centuries apart than together, and sometimes she just wished they'd stop getting back together, stopped trying to make it work, no matter how they felt about each other. Obviously things weren't working out.

That was why she needed so badly for this to work according to plan.

Things had been so much better before.

She needed it to be like it'd been before.

Spike sighed. "I'm sorry kitten." He went towards her. "It's just this manuscript. Supposed to hold your cure, but it reads like gibberish. E-even _Dalton_ here, the big brain, he can't make heads or tails of it."

Drusilla put her hand to her head. "I...I need to change Miss Edith." She took a few steps and then put her other hand to her head as well, bending over and whining.

Spike rushed to her, putting his arm around her and pulled her back up. "Forgive me. You know I can't stand to see you like this." He sat her down and crouched. "We're running out of time. It's that bloody Slayer! Whenever I turn around she's muckin' up the works."

She knew that, and placed her hand over his, trying to comfort him back. "Shh. Shh. You'll make it right. I know."

He put his hands around her neck and kissed her gently but firmly.

He really was so loyal, like a dog.

After they released their kiss he stood and turned his attention back to Dalton.

Drusilla stood and went back to her end of the table, picking up a new deck and shuffled the deck.

"Well." Spike walked around the table towards Dalton. "Come on, now. Enlighten me."

"Uh, well, it looks like Latin, but it's not." Dalton stammered. "I-I'm not even sure it's, it's a language, actually, I..."

"Then _MAKE IT A LANGUAGE!_" Spike snapped. "Isn't that what a transcriber does?!"

"Well, not exactly..." Dalton started, then yelped when Spike grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him from his chair.

Dru dealt the cards and reviewed them.

"I want the _cure_." Spike snarled into Dalton's face.

"Don't..." Drusilla finally spoke up, not looking up form the cards.

"Why not?" Spike asked defiantly. "Some people find pain..." he punched Dalton in the stomach. "_...very_ inspirational."

Dalton doubled over.

Drusilla finally looked up from her cards. "He can't help you." She looked back down almost immediately. "Not without..." She pointed to a card. "The key."

"They key?" Spike blinked. "You mean this book is in some kind of code?"

She nodded.

Dalton nodded weakly in agreement, still in pain.

Spike shoved him back into his chair before walking over to Drusilla, looking at one of her cards, where a mausoleum was pictured in. "Is that where we'll find this key?"

Dru merely nodded once more.

"I'll send the boys, pronto!" Spike smiled.

"Now will you dance?" Dru asked, curiously.

Spike laughed and took her hand. "I'll dance with _you_, pet." He pulled her up towards him and lifted her into his arms. "On the Slayer's grave!"

* * *

In the cemetery, Buffy walked through it at a relaxed pace, admittedly concentrating more on her thoughts than on the patrol. It was a rare thing for her to patrol on her own without one of the team accompanying her, but the Slayer was glad for the moment alone.

Chloe was acting weird.

Remembering Angel's conversation with her some nights ago, Buffy had to admit that Chloe _was_ acting strange, and she was acting stranger and stranger these last couple of days on top of the strange way she'd been behaving the last couple of months. Added together that meant that something _else_ was bothering Chloe on top of everything...and there were secrets.

It hurt Buffy to realize that.

Chloe was her best friend and the Slayer told her _everything_, but now that she really took the time to think about it, Chloe wasn't reciprocating. She was keeping something secret from the rest of them, and it was obviously affecting her health. She was looking paler, the bags under her eyes darker, and she was becoming easier and easier to irritate. She snapped at things that made the others raise their eyebrows at her, all asking each other what exactly was wrong with the girl who used to be the sunshine of the group.

Buffy stopped when she heard clinking noises coming from a mausoleum, and frowned when she looked at it and saw light coming from inside. The Slayer walked towards it and pushed the door open a bit, peeking inside.

A vampire was inside, chipping away at the wall, exposing a chamber behind it. He reached in for something as Buffy pulled her head back out and closed the door.

The blonde walked down the steps and turned around to wait for him to come out, and only a few moments later he opened the door, stepping out.

"Does 'rest in peace' have _no_ sanctity to you people?" Buffy snarked, hands going to her hips. "Oh, I forgot. You're not a people."

Feeling something she turned and kicked the vampire who'd been about to grab her from behind in the gut, and then again in the gut. He took a swing at her with his other arm, but she ducked and caught it, too, yanking it back, hearing it snap. While she had him leaning back she thrust a stake into his heart, watching as he exploded into ashes.

"One down." She turned to where the other vampire had been, finding nothing but empty space. "One gone."

* * *

They were just lying down on her bed, but that was more than enough.

Chloe closed her eyes, fighting the pounding headache, curled around Angel, cheek resting over his unbeating heart. She knew he knew something was wrong with her, but he also knew she wasn't ready to talk about it, that the best thing he could do for her right now was to hold her tightly in his cold, soothing arms and let her rest. The blonde fisted her hand in his shirt, breathing in his scent, trying to calm the sickened feeling in her stomach. It was as if she were getting over a horrible stomach flu, and she was still horribly queasy.

Thankfully the voice had faded into nothingness by the time that Angel had entered through her balcony door. Chloe had skipped out on the library meeting with the Scooby Gang, instead going straight home and lying down in bed. She really hadn't moved, not even when Angel came, only moving to curl around him and then she remained stone-still.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Angel asked softly, softly caressing her hair, head bent, mouth pressing against the crown of her head. "There's nothing you can't tell me."

"I know." She whispered. "I'm sorry."

"I'm worried." He pulled her tighter towards him, as if trying to protect her form all the evils of the world. "Something's happening to you and you're not letting me in, not letting _any_ of us in. We're all worried about you."

"I know." She tightened her grip on his shirt, taking in a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Why won't you tell me what's going on?" Angel asked against her hair. "We could help."

_No, you can't_. She kept her eyes closed. _No one can_.

* * *

The next day at school, Cordelia and Dean found themselves standing next to each other as they went over the results of the career aptitude test posted on a bulletin board.

Cordelia found herself in the A-D list. "Oh, here I am. Personal shopper or motivational speaker'." She grinned brightly. "Neato!"

"Motivational speaker?" Dean couldn't believe it. "On _what_? Ten ways to a more annoying you?"

She ignored him, paging through the H-K list to find his results. "Oh, what about you? You're..." She giggled and left.

Frowning, a little worried by her reaction, Dean looked himself up. "_WHAT_?" Unable to believe it he shook his head and turned around, determined to find his brother and the others and...there _had_ to be a mistake!

Thankfully, Buffy and Sam were walking towards the results, so Dean found them easily.

"When you look at me, do you think 'prison guard'?" Dean flat-out asked them as he stopped in front of the conversing duo.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You got _prison guard_? Are you _serious_?"

Buffy giggled.

Dean glared at her. "Laugh now, Slayer, but they assigned _you_ to the both for law enforcement professionals."

She stopped laughing immediately. "As in _police_?"

"As in polyester, doughnuts, and brutality." Dean meanly rubbed it in.

Buffy whined.

Sam looked more sympathetic towards her plight than he had towards Dean's, which his brother thought completely unfair.

Suddenly Buffy spotted Giles walking along with a tall stack of old books in his arms. "I have to go. Giles on this Tony Robbins hyper-efficiency kick. Expects me to check in every day after homeroom." She walked off after Giles, shaking her head at herself. "_Police_?"

Sam watched her go with a chuckle before turning to Dean. "Did you check to see what seminar _I_ got assigned to?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"Are you going to tell me what it was?" The younger brother asked, confused.

"Oh, right." Dean grinned sheepishly. "I was a prison guard, Buffy a police officer, Chloe was a detective and you were a police consultant---whatever that is."

"Huh, we all have something similar." Sam noticed, intrigued.

"Yeah." Dean looked around and made a face. "So Chlo didn't come to school today, huh."

"Yeah. She missed out on our library meeting _and_ cancelled for our studies with Jenny last night as well." Sam replied. "Is it me or has she been looking paler to you?"

"And touchy." Dean nodded. "Something's bugging her, and she's being all PMS-y about it."

Sam hesitated for a moment, looking a little resentful all of a sudden. "Do you think she's told _Angel_ about whatever's wrong with her?"

Dean sighed, reaching over and placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Sammy, you _gotta_ get over her. I know she's an amazing girl, and that you've been in love with her from the moment we introduced ourselves, but you've got to have realized by now that not even an _Apocalypse_ can separate her and Angel."

Sam looked away, refusing to answer.

Dean sighed, shaking his head.

* * *

Giles walked to the table, balancing his stack of books, carefully setting them down and leaning over a bit to straighten the stack, but over-leans, and the books began to fall over. He reacted quickly to try and stop them.

Buffy put her hand on top of the stack as he did, and together they pushed it back.

Giles was relieved, but also a little self-conscious, pulling his hand back just as soon as the stack was righted. "Uh, thanks."

He needed to get a hold of himself.

He knew that Buffy couldn't remember what had happened when she'd been possessed by Eyghon (the demon still curiously absent) but _Giles_ remembered, and some of the things she'd said had shaken him a bit, and it'd only gotten worse after he'd been given a few days to think about it.

"Buffy." Giles gave her an awkward smile. "Thank you. I've been, uh, indexing the Watcher diaries covering the last couple of centuries. You would be amazed at how numbingly pompous and long-winded some of these Watchers were."

"Color _me_ surprised." Buffy smirked.

He had the feeling she was teasing him.

Once more, this brought into context just how _different_ their relationship was compared to past Watcher/Slayers.

Giles frowned slightly. "So, uh, I trust last night's patrol was fruitful?"

"Semi." She sighed. "Mm, I caught one out of two vamps after they stole something from this jumbo mausoleum."

Giles frowned deeper. "They were stealing?"

"Yeah! They had tools, flashlight, whole nine yards." His Slayer nodded. "What does that mean anyway? 'Whole nine yards'? Nine yard of _what_?" She leaned back and began to whine. "Now it's gonna bug me all day." She looked up at him and noticed he'd begun pacing during her whine. "Giles, you're in pace mode. What gives?"

"Um, this vampire who escaped, did you see what he took?"

"No, but I could take a guess and say that it was something old."

"You made no effort to find out what was taken?" Giles turned to her.

"Have a cow, Giles! I just figured it was your everyday vamp hijinks."

"Well what if it wasn't?" Giles asked, the frustration he was feeling ever since the Eyghon episode rising up in this situation. "This could be very serious! I mean, i-i-if you'd made an effort to, uh, to be more thorough in your observations..."

"Y'know, if you don't like the way I'm doing my job, why don't you find somebody else?" Buffy suddenly asked, eyes narrowed, voice dark. "Oh, that's right, there can only be _one_. As long as I'm alive, there is no one else. Well, there you go! I don't have to be the Slayer. I could be _dead_."

He flinched at the memory of finding her face down in the pool of water in the Master's lair. "Don't ever joke about that again!" He hissed, more violent than he'd intended.

Buffy looked taken back by his tone, before her eyes widened and then she gave him a small, repentant smile. "I'm sorry, Giles. I didn't mean to bring back up that memory."

How did she do that?

How did she know what he was thinking?

"This---this isn't important now. You're alive. You're fine." He took off his glasses and began to clean them although they were already clean. "Right now our only concern is to discover what was stolen from that mausoleum last night."

He could continue having a nervous breakdown later.

* * *

In Drusilla's room, she waved her hand over an intricately carved gold cross held out to her by Spike on a red velvet pillow.

"This is it then?" Spike asked.

Dru sensed it. "It hums. I can hear it."

"Once you're well again, we'll have a coronation down Main Street, and invite everyone, and drink for seven days and seven nights." Spike promised her.

"What about the Slayer?" Dalton asked from behind them. "She almost blew the whole thing for us. She's trouble."

Spike looked up at him, annoying. "You _don't_ say?" He stood. "Trouble?!" The vampire began to pace. "She's the gnat in my ear! The gristle in my teeth! She's the bloody thorn in my BLOODY SIDE!" He kicked the table violently.

"Spike?" Dru asked, concerned.

"We gotta do something." Spike replied curtly. "We'll never complete your cure with that _bitch_ breathing down our necks." He exhaled. "I need to bring in the big guns. They'll take care of her once and for all."

"Big guns?" Dalton asked, curiously.

"The Order of Taraka." Spike simplified.

"The _bounty hunters?!_" Dalton exclaimed.

Drusilla dealt three tarot cards. One was of a Cyclops, another of a centipede, and the third of a panther. "They're coming to my party." She looked up. "Three of them."

Spike walked back to the bed to look at the cards.

"Uh, yes, but..." Dalton cleared his throat. "The Order of Taraka, I mean...isn't that overkill?

"No." Spike smirked. "I think it's just kill enough."

* * *

"If Snyder notices I cut class again, I'm blaming you." Buffy warned Giles as they entered the cemetery.

Her Watcher had decided that this was too important to wait till after school, so they had both ditched, and she was taking him back to the scene of the crime.

"Duly noted." Giles replied.

"So, I've been kinda depressed." Buffy made conversation as they made their way deeper into the cemetery. "I mean, with this whole career emphasis in school it reminds me how I really don't have anything else in my future but this gig."

"What you have is more than a _gig_." Giles announced from besides her. "It's a sacred duty, which shouldn't prevent you from eventually procuring some more gainful form of employment. Such as I did."

She snorted, amused by his naivety. "Uh, Giles, it's one thing to be a Watcher and a librarian. They go together like chicken and...another chicken, or...two chickens, or..._something_...you know what I'm saying! The point _is_, no one blinks an eye if you want to spend all your days with books. What am _I_ supposed to do? Carve stakes for a nursery?"

Giles had gotten in front of her as they made their way past several gravestones. "Point taken. I must, however, admit, I-I never really...Well, now there's a thought. Have you ever considered law enforcement?"

She stopped in her tracks as he turned to face her.

Not Giles _too!_

But she decided not to comment, instead motioning with her chin towards the mausoleum behind him. "That's it."

Giles turned. "Oh."

They walked in silence up the steps and entered, finding the chamber bare except for two large stone vases and a pile of rubble on the floor.

Giles reached for the flashlight he'd stuck in the back of the waist of his pants and pulled it out, turning the flashlight and as he walked over to where the wall had been broken. "It's a reliquary. Used to house items of religious significance. Most commonly a finger or some other body part from a saint."

"Note to self: religion, _freaky_." Buffy declared while leaning against the wall as Giles scanned around the rest of the room with the flashlight.

He spotted a name engraved on a stone high above. "Du Lac. Oh dear, oh _dear_."

"I hate it when you say that." Buffy whined.

"Josephus de Lac was buried here." Giles turned to her. "He belonged to a religious sect that was excommunicated by the Vatican at the turn of the century."

"Excommunicated _and_ sent to Sunnydale." Buffy snorted. "There's a guy big with the sinning."

"You remember the book that was stolen from the library by a vampire a few weeks ago?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah."

"If you remember I asked Chloe to run an inventory check, and she told me that the only book missing was written by Du Lac." He shook his head in self-disgust. "With everything that's been happening it completely slipped my mind."

The Slayer sighed as they started out of the mausoleum. "I'm guessing this book wasn't a 'Taste of the Vatican' cookbook."

"No, the, uh, book was said to contain rituals and spells that reap unspeakable evil. However, it was written in archaic Latin so that nobody but the sect could understand it."

"So everything's cool then." Buffy surmised.

"It's not." Giles shook his head. "First the book was taken from the library, and now the vampires have stolen something from Du Lac's tomb."

"You think they figured out how to read the book?" Buffy's eyes widened.

"Something's coming, Buffy." Giles turned to her, face serious. "And whatever it is, I can guarantee it's not good."

* * *

The cargo doors of a 747 in the airport opened, and a baggage handler came up to the loading ramp, stepping in. He paused, noticing that the cargo nets had been torn open, and he took off his headphones.

"What the hell?" He looked closer, suspecting that someone was there. "Hey, you're not supposed to be in here!" He pulled out his flashlight and held it ready to use as a club. "Hey, c'mon!"

He walked in further, looking for whoever it was. He saw a shadow moving behind a baggage container, but before he could even call out a warning a foot suddenly came up and kicked him in the face, in the gut, and then in the face again, causing him to fall back, unconscious.

The attacker walked towards the cargo door and peeked out.

It was a young Caribbean girl with long, curly hair tied back and wearing large hoop earrings.

She made her way out of the plane, keeping a careful watch for anyone who might see her.

* * *

Opening the door, dressed still in the large shirt she'd slept in, Chloe looked up in surprise to see Jenny Calendar standing in her doorway.

"Your father is going insane." Jenny announced, arms folded over her chest defiantly. "Not only him, by the way. Rupert and Buffy, Sam, Dean, Cordelia, _Angel_...we're all worried about you. And this. Whatever it is. It's going to stop. _Now_."

She tightened her hold on the door. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just tired. I---."

"Bullshit." It was something grave when Jenny cursed. "Chloe, you're being worn thin. Your father has been calling me nonstop the last couple of days and I've had enough of hearing how worried sick he is. You should be ashamed of how you're treating him, and _us_." She placed her hand on the door as if believing Chloe was going to shut it in her face. "We mightn't be related by blood, but we're all one big, dysfunctional family, and you're going to have to start relying on us. To start _trusting_ us."

"I _do_ trust---."

"No. You _don't_." Jenny interrupted her curtly. "If you _did_ trust us you would have told us what is bothering you from the start, and you wouldn't have allowed it to make you look so _horrible_. Not only is your relationship with your friends, Angel and _father_ being affected by this, but your health is being affected as well. And I believe in giving people time to come to terms with certain things, I believe in free will and what not, but I'll be _damned_ if I let you hurt yourself any longer."

Chloe just didn't know what to say, looking at Jenny in utter, shocked silence.

"So I'm not leaving this doorstep until you come clean and _talk_ to me." The older woman glared at her.

And suddenly, suddenly Chloe felt so _tired_.

No fight left in her, she stepped aside, and opened the door wider.

* * *

In the library, Sam, Dean and Buffy sat at the table.

"So Giles is sure that the vampire who stole his book is connected to the one you slayed last night?" He paused. "Or is it _slew_?"

Giles came out of the stacks with a National Geographic magazine. "Both are correct, and yes, I'm sure. Du Lac was both a, a...a theologian and a mathematician." He came down the stairs. "This article describes an invention of his, which he called The Du Lac Cross." He reached them and handed the open magazine to Sam. "The cross was more than a mere symbol, it was used to understand certain mystical texts, to, uh, decipher hidden meanings and so forth."

"So you're saying those vampires went to all that hassle for your basic decoder ring?" Dean made a face.

Giles blinked, a little taken aback by the metaphor. "Uh, actually, yes, I suppose I am."

"Wow, according to this," Sam looked up from the magazine. "Du Lac destroyed every cross except the one buried with him."

"Why destroy your own work?" Buffy asked a good question.

Giles began to pace. "Perhaps he feared what might happen if it hell into the wrong hands."

"A fear we'll soon get to experience for ourselves up close and personal." Dean predicted.

"U-unless we can preempt their plans." Giles replied.

"How?" Sam asked.

"Uh, by learning what's in the book before they do." Giles sat down. "Which means we can expect to be here later tonight."

"Not to change the subject or something," Dean looked around them. "But shouldn't there be two more members to this absolutely _fun_ research party?"

Giles and Buffy exchanged a look.

"No," the Watcher shook his head. "Ms. Calendar has her own mission today."

"And what about Chloe?" Sam asked, frowning and wary.

Buffy looked up. "She _is_ the mission."

* * *

"I---I---_Chloe_." Jenny whispered, eyes wide as she sat on the girl's bed. "Why didn't you _tell_ us this before, honey? No _wonder_ you've been so off lately!"

Chloe stood by her window, looking out at the shadows that crept onto the earth as the sun set completely, bathing them in darkness. "I don't know. At first it was because telling everyone would make it _real_, but then afterwards, I think I was too scared to see them look at me differently."

"He could have been lying to you." Jenny stood up. "And even if he wasn't, that doesn't change who you are now. You're still the same girl that we all love. Nothing would be different."

"Are you kidding me?" Chloe snorted, still unable to look at her friend and mentor. "Nothing would be different? _Everything_ would be different! I'd be that thing's _daughter!_ Ask anyone, ask _Angel_, anything that that thing ever touched became the purest evil _ever_."

"You're not evil."

"_No_?" Chloe turned to Jenny, face hard, eyes fogging up with unshed tears. "I _attract_ evil, Jenny. That demon everyone's so worried about? The one they're waiting for to attack Giles or Dean? They don't have to worry anymore! It's right _here_!" She pounded her chest in fury.

Jenny looked confused. "What are you---?"

"I saw Buffy that day, when she was Eyghon." Chloe finally confessed. "It spoke to me, and told me that it wanted to jump bodies. Told me that Buffy's body was fighting him with everything it got, that possessing her was _uncomfortable_. But _my_ body? It was _inviting_."

Jenny's eyes widened.

"It knocked me out and the next thing I know I'm agony in the park, and he's screaming inside of me in _agony_." Chloe's voice cracked with restrained emotion. "I _devoured_ him, Jenny. I devoured his energy until he was _nothing_ inside of me!"

Jenny sat back down, shocked.

"These last days I've been off because I've been having his voice in my head, as if they were my thoughts, but they've faded away. Apparently I've consumed him completely." She turned her back on Jenny once more. "So _don't_ tell me that nothing's _different_." Chloe whispered. "Because _everything_ is."

They fell into silence, neither noticing that their conversation had been overheard by Angel.

* * *

Spike was in a bad mood.

The first of the Order had attacked while Buffy and the shorter young male patrolled, the Watcher and taller male in the library studying...and the Assassin had been killed. Spike had been in the background, watching as the Slayer and her friend _decimated_ the Assassin, and took his ring, which meant that her Watcher would recognize it and know that the Order of Taraka was after her.

There went the element of _surprise_.

At least they were close to decoding the manuscript.

All they needed was a bit more time.

So, in a bad mood, Spike had left the warehouse and found himself walking...found himself outside _her_ house.

And that made him a little more pissed.

Ever since that night he'd been unable to get the taste of her blood out of his mind. Like a drug, it consumed him, and nothing he'd tasted since had been quite the same now that he had something to compare it to.

And there she was, standing by the window, looking out at a patch of grass, talking to someone he couldn't see.

The moon shone on her, bathing her in ethereal light.

Sensing movement, he hide deeper into the shadows, finally noticing Angelus, face vampiric, jumping down from the balcony and storming away...

...too furious by whatever he'd heard to even notice that Spike was there.

Curious, Spike watched him go, before feeling a gaze on him, looking up to meet those green orbs.

And then she was gone from the window.

Spike felt annoyed.

He'd been _dismissed_.

But then the front door opened and some dark haired woman left, apparently looking in shock as she got into her car and left.

And only after her car had disappeared down the road did the side door open and there _she_ was, wearing nothing but a long t-shirt, skin pale and perfect under the moonlight as her gaze met his and stepping out from the protection of her home.

That both annoyed and intrigued him.

She was, in her own way, telling him he didn't scare her.

"'Ell, luv." He stepped out of the shadows, curious, as he always was, about what went on in that little head of hers. "Come to face the Big Bad?"

She walked up towards him and _punched_ him.

"_Fuck!_" He snarled, face going demonic in seconds as he turned back to her, furious.

"_That_ was for taking advantage of me when I was under that spell." The bint sat down on the ground, before lying on her back and looking up at the moon, completely bathed in its light and looking lie some fucking _painting_.

"What did you _expect_?" He wanted to know, a little unsure of how this was going to go, so he just sat down next to her. "I _am_ the Big Bad."

"You're lucky that Angel didn't kill you after he found out." She commented, hands behind her head, looking up at the stairs.

'"How'd he find out?" Spike asked, a little source of evil happiness filling him at the news that Angelus _did_ find out.

"I told him."

The vampire blinked. "You _told_ Angelus?"

"Of course I did." She replied.

He chortled in amusement. "How did the old man take it?"

"I'm considering sleeping with you again just to incite the same reaction in him."

Spike nearly choked on his saliva. "Excuse me?"

She chuckled, turning her head so that she was looking at him. "You two have a serious competition going on between you, huh?"

He was silent for a moment, just nodding. "Yes, we do. Ever since the days we travelled together." He frowned. "Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She responded. "This _is_ my backyard."

"No," he turned so that he was half leaning over her. "What are you doing _here_, outside?"

She smirked up at him, not seeming at all nervous, which was both arousing and irritating. "You don't want _Angelus_ after your blood, Spike. And if you hurt me, what he'd do to you would make all those centuries of killing and torture seem like _child's play_."

She had a point there.

"And anyway, I want you to tell me more about Angelus." Chloe surprised him by saying. "He's told me himself, but I'd like to hear of it from someone else' perspective...someone who was once so close to him."

"You're an odd bird." Spike told her.

She smiled up at him. "Come on, Father Time. Spin me a tale."

The vampire continued half leaning over her, so intrigued by this odd human that he didn't notice the dark skinned girl walking away from where she'd been secretly watching, heading after Angelus.

* * *

Giles inspected the ring under a magnifying lamp while the others crowded around her.

"This guy was hardcore, Giles." Buffy announced, placing a hand on his shoulder and leaning over him partially to get a better look at the ring.

"This ring is worn only by members of the Order of Taraka." Giles turned halfway in his seat to look at her, knowing his worry was visible on his face. "It's a society of assassins dating back to King Solomon."

"Not good." Dean frowned.

"Their credo is to sow discord and kill the unwary." Giles nodded his agreement.

"These assassins, why are they after _me_?" Buffy wanted to know.

"'Cause you're the scourge of the underworld?" Sam hap-hazarded a guess.

"But I haven't been that scourgey lately." The Slayer denied.

Giles rubbed his eyes. "I don't know, I don't know." He exhaled, suddenly understanding why the other Watchers before him had never become so close emotionally to the Slayers they'd been appointed to. Buffy was in danger every day of the week, and he didn't think his heart could handle her near deaths much longer. "I think the best thing we can do is to find a secure location. Somewhere out of the way you can go until we decide on the best course of action."

"Don't you think Buffy's mom will realize she's not home?" Sam made a face.

"That isn't a problem." Buffy shook her head. "Mom's in L.A. collecting artwork or something like that, I really wasn't paying attention to what she said. All I know is she's going to be gone for a week."

"Oh." Sam nodded.

"I'd offer our place, but our dad's there..." Dean shrugged.

"Why do I need a place to hide in anyway?" The Slayer frowned. "Why does everyone seem to think that I'm not strong enough to fight these people?"

"They're a breed apart, Buffy." Giles tried to make her understand the gravity of her situation. "U-unlike vampires they have no earthly desires, but to collect their bounty. They find a target, and, uh...the eliminate it. You can kill as many of them as you like, it won't make any difference. When there's one, there will be another, and another. They won't stop coming until the job is done."

"Or, in other words," Buffy's face was finally solemn, _finally_ understanding. "Until _I_ am done."

"Each one of them works alone." Giles continued, placing a hand on hers comfortingly. "His own way. Some are human, some...a-are not. Y-you won't know who they are until they strike."

"Then, considering that Chloe needs her own time right now..." Buffy turned to Giles and smirked. "That only leaves _your_ place, doesn't it?"

Giles' eyes went wide. "I don't---Ms. Calendar---."

"Jenny Calendar and I would tear each other's hair out, and the assassins would have their work done for them if I went to stay with her." Buffy's smile was slightly frightening. "So, you're gonna have a roommate."

Giles swallowed loudly.

Far too cheerful considering the circumstances, Buffy turned to the others. "Well, for now all we can do is to try and find out what was in that stolen book. Come on now!"

* * *

Angel paced the night, furious.

He, he couldn't believe it, couldn't believe all that he'd heard while eavesdropping on Chloe and that Calendar woman.

Chloe----was the daughter of the _Master_?

He kicked at a shrub in his fury.

Angel could remember when Chloe had come to him with an apparently innocent question about vampiric ability to procreate.

He also remembered what he'd told her.

"_Let's be glad he didn't have any. Everything the Master created, or everyone from his bloodline, Angelus included, were the most __**evil**__ bastards ever to walk the face of the earth."_

He slammed his fist into a light pole.

It dented with the force of the blow.

No _wonder_ she hadn't felt that she could tell him!

Why hadn't he been able to sense the deeper meaning in her words? He'd _known_ that something was bothering her, so her asking that question should have been enough to tip him off...and yet it hadn't.

He was so deep in his self-hatred that he didn't notice the person coming towards him until he was kicked in the face.

Dazed, Angel fell back onto the floor, and looked up at his attacker. It was a young girl, dark skinned, with long curly hair.

She had a stake in her hand as she lunged at Angel.

Neither noticed the vampire in the shadows, watching with wide eyes.

Angel rolled out of the way of the girl's thrust and then was up again, ducking a swing from her. She tried a direct thrust, which Angel just pushed aside, but she followed it up with a punch to the face from her other hand, and used her momentum to spin around for a roundhouse kick, knocking him into a tree.

Angel vamped out, that had _hurt_.

The girl charged him with the stake held above her head in both hands. He blocked her charge with his arms and twisted her arms down, forcing her to drop the stake, shoving her into a tree.

Payback was bitch.

He tried to knock her legs out from under her, but her footing was firm and she kicked him in the back, knocking him down instead.

Once down he tricked kicking again, and this time she fell.

The girl grabbed his shirt and pulled him up and kicked him in the face. They both scrambled to their feet, and Angel swung and missed. He swung the other way, but she blocked it and punched him three times in the gut and the a right hook to his jaw. She shoved him to the ground and in a surprising move she drove the stake through his shoulder, all the way into the ground beneath, pinning him to the ground instead of just killing him.

Angel howled in pain and yet didn't have to react as she pulled another stake from her waistband and shoved it through his _other_ shoulder into the ground, pinning him into the earth.

The girl smirked as she stood.

"I'm going to _kill_ you." Angel snarled in pain.

"Den I suggest ya move quickly." She looked up at the sky. "Eastern exposure. De sun will be comin' in a few hours. More dan enough time to go back to find your girlfriend."

"You stay away from her!" Angel roared in anger, and yet was unable to do anything.

She sneered and him, and the last thing he saw before blacking out was her boot coming at break-neck speed towards his face.

* * *

Studying at his desk, Giles picked up the book he'd been reading and headed back into the main room with it. When he looked up the first thing he saw were Buffy and Sam sleeping, leaning against the table. The Watcher had awoken Dean some moments before, asking him if he could go to Buffy's and get some things from her house since it wasn't safe for her to go there right now, and he'd left the other two sleeping, but now he saw the need to wake them up as well.

Crouching over Sam, he shook the boy awake before going and doing the same to Buffy.

"Stay away from him you Technopagan freak!" Buffy mumbled as she came awake, before looking up at Giles sleepily and throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him close. "He's _mine_."

Giles blushed scarlet, back bent at a painful angle. "Uh, uh, _B-Buffy_?"

She then went tense. "I'm awake, aren't I?"

He nodded.

She let go as if he'd burnt her.

Giles put the book on the table and pulled his glasses off as he cleared his throat, pretending the glasses needed cleaning once more. "I think I may have found something, finally."

"You did?" Sam's voice was deep with sleep.

Giles nodded, not trusting himself to put on his glasses as yet. "I-I found a-a description of the missing Du Lac manuscript. It's a ritual. Now I...I haven't managed to decipher the exact details, but I believe the purpose is to restore a weak and sick vampire back to full health."

Buffy was suddenly fully awake. "A vampire like Drusilla?"

He nodded, _finally_ putting his glasses back on. "_Exactly."_

* * *

In her room, Drusilla looked up as Dalton slammed the Du Lac manuscript shut and handed her his handwritten pages of translation.

She ignored her tarot cards in favor of reading a bit of what he'd written, and she paused, surprised. "My cure..."

Dalton nodded. "The missing link, it was..."

"Right, right in front of us...the whole time." Drusilla put down the manuscript translation, feeling another bout of weakness come upon her.

She'd...she'd wanted to be a family again.

But she wanted to be stronger even more.

The brunette picked up the card that had been intriguing her before Dalton passed her the pages.

It was of an angel.

Suddenly a minion of Spike's entered the room. "Mistress, sorry for intruding, but I just saw Angelus staked to the ground and left to die by some _woman_."

Dalton looked up. "Is he still there?"

The minion nodded.

Drusilla smiled. "Go, and bring me. I am to have a lovely tea party to plan, and he is to be my guest of honor."

* * *

"I can't even believe you." Cordelia groaned as they walked towards Buffy's house. "You dragged me out of bed for a ride. What am I? Mass transportation?"

"That's what a lot of the guys say, but it's just locker room talk." Dean announced, pulling out the keys Buffy had given him as they made it to the front steps. "I wouldn't pay it any mind."

She glared at him. "Oh, great. So now I'm your taxi _and_ your punching bag."

"I like to think of you more as my witless foil," Dean grinned at her as he put the keys to the lock. "But have it your way."

She hit him up the back of his head.

He laughed as he unlocked the door and entered. "C'mon Cordy. You wanna be a member of the Scooby Gang you gotta be willing to be inconvenienced every now and then."

"Oh, right," she snorted as they entered the house and closed the door behind them. "'Cause I lie awake at night hoping you tweakos will be my best friends."

"I thought you 'genuinely liked' Chloe." He reminded her as he made his way up the stairs.

"I do." Cordelia responded as she stayed downstairs, yawning into her hand. "And to this day I wonder why _she's_ friends with you."

"Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Dean snorted as he disappeared upstairs to get the things Buffy needed.

"Sure thing." Cordelia spun her keys around as she walked into the living room and looked around, wondering if she could sleep on Buffy's sofa while Dean was upstairs perving on the Slayer's underwear.

The brunette decided to give it a try, lying down and closing her eyes.

* * *

After Spike had left, Chloe had gone back to her bed and fallen asleep, dreaming of all of the stories he'd told her about Angelus, but she couldn't fall into the deep sleep she wanted.

Which was probably good, since when she felt something stirring in her room she'd opened her eyes in time to roll to the far side of the bed and avoid the hatchet striking the pillow where her head had been.

Her attacker, a dark-skinned girl, swung again and it hit the mattress when Chloe sidestepped the blow.

Chloe did a flip over the female's back and onto the floor behind her, ready to fight.

"Who the _hell_ are _you_?" She snapped.

The girl swung with the hatchet and Chloe ducked the swing, grabbing the bed curtain. She pulled it down and over the girl's head, knocking her to the floor with a kick to the head. The girl quickly scrambled out from under the curtain and held the hatchet up and ready.

"Not much of a talker, huh?" Chloe snarked.

The girl swung the hatchet and Chloe caught it. Her attacker pulled her around and slammed her into the wall, pushing the hatchet into her chest. Chloe pushed the hatchet up and away from her. The girl pulled down on it, flipping Chloe over onto her back, bearing down on her.

"You know, for someone who refuses to speak, you're _really_ annoying." Chloe grunted as she let go of the hatchet with one hand and dug her nails into the girl's hand. Her attacker gritted her teeth and grunted in pain as Chloe grabbed the girl's arm and rolled her over and away.

They both scrambled to their feet.

Chloe kicked the hatchet out of the girl's hand, and the raven-haired girl tried to kicks, which Chloe easily blocked before ducking a swing to her head and swinging back, the girl grabbing her arm in mid-swing and flipping her over onto the ground. The blond let out a pained breath as her attacker reached down for her, but Chloe kicked up with both legs into the other girl's face, making her fall backwards to the floor.

Once more they both scrambled to their feet.

Chloe performed a roundhouse kick to the girl's face, causing the girl to fall again before hopping right back to her feet.

They faced each other, ready to continue the fight.

"Who are you?" The woman asked, back facing the open door of Chloe's room.

"It speaks." Chloe snorted. "And how the _hell_ can you ask who _I_ am? _You_ attacked me! Who, _the hell_, are _you?_"

"I am Kendra!" The girl exclaimed. "De Vampire Slayer!"

Chloe paused, blinking, shocked.

But Kendra, 'De Vampira Slayer', didn't get a chance to attack, suddenly collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

Behind her stood Gabe Sullivan, dressed in his nightclothes, a baseball bat in his hand. "Did I get her?"

Chloe blinked in surprise before smirking at her father. "Yeah, I think you did."

"Oh." He smiled. "Good."

She laughed before looking at the girl and sighing. "Dad. You're going to need to call Giles. He needs to hear this."

* * *

**Review?**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville/Supernatural/Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

* * *

In Gabe Sullivan's kitchen, a now conscious Kendra sat down on the chair, nursing an icepack to her throbbing head, while Giles paced and Buffy just leaned on a chair with her left hand and had her right hand on her hip, looking at the newcomer with relative mistrust. Sam had been with them at school but had gone home to sleep a little while before Chloe had called so he wasn't there for this meeting.

Gabe, still holding his bat just in case, and Chloe, now bathed and changed clothes, stood on the sidelines, exchanging looks.

"And your Watcher is, i-is Sam Zabuto, you say?" Giles finally asked.

"Yes, sir." Kendra nodded, then winced at the pain that made her feel.

"We've never met, but he, he's, he's very well-respected." Giles sighed, sitting down as well.

"What, so he's a real guy?" Buffy made a face. "As in non-fictional?"

He ignored her, turning to Kendra. "And you are called...?"

"I am de Vampire Slayer." Kendra replied proudly.

Buffy sneered at her. "We got that part, hon. He means your _name_."

"Oh." Kendra blinked. "Dey call me Kendra. I have no last name, sir."

Buffy snorted, looking quite haughty. "Can you say 'stuck in the 80's'?"

"Buffy, _please_." Giles finally looked up at her. "There's obviously some, some misunderstanding here."

"There are many tings I do not understand," Kendra frowned. "Like how you can believe _she_ is da Slayer if dere is only one and I am she," she turned to look at Chloe distrustfully. "And who is _she_? How does she know about de Slayer? She is friends with _vampires_. I thought she was one which was why I---."

Chloe flinched.

"Back off, pink ranger." Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Chloe is my friend. And I know all about the vampire so you just stop crying wolf and trying to take the spotlight off of you. I don't trust you _or_ your claims to be 'De Vampire Slayer' when, as you said, there is only _one, _and _I_ am she."

Kendra ignored Buffy's claims, frowning. "Friend?"

"Yeah." Buffy nodded. "As in person you hang out with? Amigo?"

Kendra frowned deeper. "I do not understand."

Buffy turned to Giles, exasperated. "You try. I'm tapped." She sat down.

Giles cleared his throat. "Uh, uh, Kendra, uh, there are a few people, uh, civilians if you like, who, who know Buffy's identity. Chloe here is one of them, and they also, um, spend time together, socially."

Kendra looked shocked. "And you allow dis, sir?"

"Well, uh..." Giles looked like he'd been backed into a corner.

"But de Slayer must work in secret for security."

"Of course, but, uh, with Buffy however, it's, um, some flexibility is required." The Watcher admitted.

Buffy gave Giles a look.

"Why?" Kendra looked completely confused.

"Okay, enough." Chloe stepped forwards, annoyed. "I'm sure that this conversation might be _fascinating_ at some other time, but I think the most important question right now is _how_ there can be _two_ Slayers here in Sunnydale."

"I thought it was impossible for there to be two Slayers." Gabe backed up his daughter, still holding his bat tightly. "So how can _she_ be here?"

"To my knowledge," Giles ran a hand over his head. "The new Slayer is only called after the previous Slayer has died. Uh..." His eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Oh, good Lord! You were _dead_, Buffy."

Chloe remembered. "The Master."

Buffy flinched. "I was only gone for a minute."

"Clearly it doesn't matter _how long_ you were gone." Giles sighed. "You were physically dead...thus causing the activation of the, the next Slayer." He motioned to Kendra.

"She _died_?" Kendra blinked.

"Just a little." Buffy argued.

"She drowned, but she was revived."

"So there really _are_ two of them." Gabe finally put down his bat, resting it against the wall.

"It would seem so." Giles nodded. "This is completely unprecedented! I'm quite flummoxed."

"What's the flum?" Buffy glared at him. "It's a mistake. She's not supposed to be here. She goes _home_!" She turned to Kendra. "Look, no offense, I really don't mean this personally, but I'm not dead, and frankly, having you around creeps me out just a little bit."

"I cannot just leave." Kendra argued, standing up. "I was sent here for a reason. Mr. Zabuto said all de signs indicate dat a very dark power is about to rise in Sunnydale."

"And what's your great plan for finding this dark power?" Buffy stood up as well. "You just gonna attack people randomly till you find a bad one?!"

"Of course not." The pretty, dark-skinned Slayer looked insulted.

Buffy motioned to Chloe as an example.

Kendra made a face. "I tought she was a vampire."

Chloe flinched again.

Buffy didn't notice, sneering at Kendra. "Oh, a swing and a miss for the rookie."

"I had good reason to tink you were." Kendra's gaze narrowed on Chloe. "Dere were _two_ vampires in your yard, an' you were consortin' wid one!"

"Okay, one I can get." Buffy turned to Chloe. "And that would be Angel. But who was the other one?"

"Spike." Chloe replied, curious as to the reference to _two_ vampires.

Giles blinked. "_Spike_?"

"What was _Spike_ doing here?" Buffy gasped.

"Who's _Spike_?" Gabe wanted to know, confused.

"He's Angel's rival." Chloe responded, leaning against the wall. "I don't know what he was doing here, but I made him tell me about Angelus."

Kendra pulled back at the name.

Buffy frowned. "Why would you----why wouldn't he hurt you?"

Chloe looked at her. "Because he won't want Angel going Angelus on him. He wants to annoy Angel, kill him sometimes, but he doesn't want Angel in the mind-frame to kill _him_."

Buffy was still for a moment before nodding. "That makes sense. So he's using you to annoy Angel, and you're using him to know more about Angel's darkside." She paused before grinning. "That's cunning. We could use that in the future."

Chloe smiled, relieved that Buffy was taking this so well.

"You two mean Angelus?" Kendra looked shocked. "I've read about him. He is a monster."

Gabe blinked.

"No, no, no, he's, he's good now." Giles shook his head.

"Really." Buffy nodded.

"He had a gypsy curse." Chloe supplied.

"He has a _what_?"

"Y'know what?" Buffy stepped in. "Just trust me on this one, okay? He's on the home team now." She looked at Chloe and grinned. "And he won't ever do anything to change that and lose what's most important to him."

Chloe smiled back at her, unable to express in words how much Buffy's faith in her meant.

But would that change when Jenny told them what she'd found out?

"I cannot believe you." Kendra whispered in shock. "He looked to me just like anodder animal when I..."

"When you _what_?" Chloe's eyes narrowed as she pushed away from the wall and confronted the dark-skinned beauty. "_What did you do to him_?"

"I..."

"_What did you DO?!?_"

* * *

Cordelia groaned, feeling something crawl across her cheek. She reached up, still half asleep, and brushed the thing away and off of her, freezing when she felt the wiggling thing... opening her eyes, Cordelia saw the mealworm wriggling on the floor and sat up, screaming.

"Cordy!?" Dean called from upstairs.

But she didn't answer, eyes wide as she saw the man standing in front of her, a mealworm crawling out from his ear.

Dean could be heard hurrying down the stairs. "CORDY!"

"Buffy Summers?" The man spoke, a worm peeking out through his mouth.

"No, you _freak_!" Cordelia reached for the lamp next to the sofa and swung it at him, causing him to stumble backwards, giving her time to get up and begin to scramble away as he transformed into a mass of mealworms.

She reached the bottom of the stairs the time Dean did, and he didn't have time to ask her what was going on as a flood of mealworms came after them, blocking their exit.

He broke into a run, guiding Cordelia away with him, the millions of mealworms crawling quickly across the floor.

Dean and Cordelia ran into the kitchen for the back door, but the insect/man/_thing_ was already there, reassembled and waiting for them.

Cordelia screamed and Dean grabbed her hand, pulling her back into the hall. They opened the door to the basement and hurried in, closing the door behind them...the mealworms trying to come under the door, but the humans stomped on them.

"Find something to cover the crack under the door!" Dean ordered as he grabbed a broom and swept the mealworms back under the door with it.

"Uhh..." Cordelia looked around desperately and found a roll of duct tape. "Here! I don't do worms."

Giving her an exasperated look, Dean grabbed the roll from her and shoved the broom into her hands. "Cover me."

She swept at the mealworms while he pulled a length of tape off of the roll and stuck it to the bottom of the door. "Ewwww! Eh! Eh!"

* * *

"Angel?!" Chloe reached the place in the park that Kendra had told them of, finding nothing.

The sun had already risen, bathing the place in light.

Kendra and Buffy arrived next to her, Buffy looking at Chloe in worry and Kendra looking around.

"No ashes." The new Slayer announced.

Once more Chloe pulled her cellular and tried calling Angel's number.

"What?" Buffy turned to her Caribbean counterpart.

"When a vampire combusts, he leaves ashes." Kendra replied.

"Yeah, I know the drill." Buffy glared at her.

Once more Angel wasn't answering.

"So, considering that the stakes aren't here and _they _don't combust with the sunlight," Kendra placed her hands on her hips. "It means that I did not kill him."

Chloe snapped her phone closed and turned to Kendra, eyes narrowed. "If something's happened to him, Slayer or not, I will _kill_ you."

Kendra met her gaze straight on. "You could _try_."

Chloe made to go at her.

Buffy stood between them. "This is not the time girls."

"He is _alright_." Kendra snapped at Chloe before turning to Buffy. "We can return to your Watcher and get our orders."

Buffy snorted. "I don't take _orders_. I do things _my_ way."

_Kendra_ snorted. "No _wonder_ you died.

A muscle jumped in Buffy's cheek. "Let's go. We won't do any good bickering amongst ourselves."

* * *

There was excitement in the warehouse, and Spike was curious as he returned right before sunset. He'd---he'd had the oddest yet interesting night. That girl of Angelus', she was the weirdest human he'd ever known...alive or undead. She knew what he was but she still presented herself as his equal, without fear, and with some mischievousness that was surprisingly _refreshing_. He was the Big Bad, he _enjoyed_ terror, and yet this human's attitude left him...amused...and a little bit addicted.

All throughout their entertaining conversation his mouth had salivated at the thought of tasting her blood, feeling it pumping through her heart.

But he'd known what Dru had told him bout her.

If someone stole her blood without her consent that person would _die_.

And he doubted that she'd give him consent to him being in her again...either way.

"Dru." He was surprised to find her awake. "What's all the noise?"

"I finished the translation of the manuscript." Dalton smiled.

Spike smirked. "Great! What do we need?"

Dru smirked, motioning to the darkest corner.

Spike gave her a curious look before turning towards the corner, eyes widening when he saw Angel, injured and chained up. "Angelus?"

Dru giggled. "The stars tell me that all we need is the full moon tonight, and he will die, and I will be princess again."

Spike met Angelus' brown gaze.

Angelus needed to die for Dru to be strong again?

He smirked brightly. "This day keeps getting better and better!"

* * *

In the high school later that day, Giles, Kendra, Chloe and Buffy came down the outside stairs and headed into the halls.

"Kendra, I've, uh, conferred with your Watcher, Mr. Zabuto, and we've both agreed that until this matter with Spike and Drusilla has been resolved you and Buffy should work together."

"Oh, that'll be a treat." Buffy murmured to Chloe.

"So, you believe dat Spike is attempting to revive dis Drusilla to health?" Kendra ignored Buffy, concentrating on Giles.

"Yes, well, I-I-I-I think that's the, uh, dark power that your Watcher referred to." Giles nodded. "You see, uh, Drusilla's not only evil, she's, uh, well, she's also quite _mad_, and if she's restored to health then, well, there's no way of telling what she might do."

"Den we will stop Spike." Kendra announced.

"Ooo, good plan, let's go, charge!" Buffy mocked.

"_Buffy_..." Giles warned.

She glared at him. "It's a little more complicated than that, John Wayne."

"Yes, I'm afraid it is." Giles had to agree, turning to Kendra. "You see, apparently Spike has also called out the Order of Taraka to keep Buffy out of the way."

"The Order of Taraka?" Chloe frowned, not having heard of this before.

"De assassins?" Kendra kept ignoring everyone but Giles. "I read of dem in de writing of Dramius."

"Oh, really?" Giles asked, surprised. "W-w-which volume?"

"I believe it was six, sir." She responded as they exited the hall and began to walk along the colonnade.

"Um, how do you know all of this?" Buffy broke into their conversation.

"From me studies." Kendra replied, as if this should be obvious.

Buffy snorted. "So, obviously you have a lot of free time."

"I study because it is required." Kendra announced, earning a large smile from Giles. "The Slayer handbook insists on it."

"There's a Slayer handbook?" Chloe asked in surprise.

"Wait. Handbooks? What handbook?" She turned to Giles. "How come _I_ don't have a handbook?"

"After meeting you, Buffy, I realized that, uh, the handbook would be of no use in your case." Giles admitted with a sigh.

'Well, what do you _mean_ it would be of no use in _my_ case?" Buffy wanted to know, defensive. "Wha-what's wrong with my case?"

Giles opened his mouth, closed it, and then turned to Kendra almost desperately. "Uh, _Kendra_, um, perhaps you'd like to show me the, the part in, uh, Dramius Six where it refers to the Order of Taraka. Really, I seem to have never been able to get through that book. It was a bit _stodgy_."

She smiled for the first time _ever. "_It _was_ difficult. All dose footnotes."

Giles and Kendra laughed out loud.

Buffy growled.

Hearing the sound, Kendra raised an eyebrow.

Giles turned to Buffy. "Oh, well, B-Buffy, Principal Snyder was snooping round after you."

Her eyes went wide. "Eeee. Career fair."

"Best make an appearance, I think." He nodded.

"Right." Buffy agreed.

"She's a student here?" Kendra asked in surprise.

"Yes." Giles nodded.

"Riiight, of course." Kendra smirked. "And I imagine she's a cheerleader as well."

Buffy glared at her.

"Oh, no, well, actually she had to give up her cheerleading." Giles announced, not noticing the undercurrent of tension between the Slayers. "Uh, it was quite an amusing story, actually. Uh, let's go and find the book, shall we?"

Kendra smiled at him as the two headed off to the library, leaving Chloe and Buffy behind.

"I hate her. I hope she's evil." Buffy decided as the two of them disappeared.

"Me too." Chloe agreed. "If she killed Angel..."

"I'll help you hide the body." Buffy growled before sighing, shoulders sagging. "I'll bet Giles wishes I was more of a book geek."

"Giles is enough of a book geek for the both of you." Chloe disagreed.

"Yeah, but did you see how the were vibing?" Buffy turned to her, a little worried. "Volume six, ha ha ha!"

"Buffy, _no one _could replace you in Giles' heart." Chloe placed a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "You will _always_ be his favorite."

"I wonder." Buffy whispered.

"Of course you will." Chloe gave her shoulder a little squeeze. "You're _his_ Slayer. The _real_ Slayer."

Buffy sighed before turning to Chloe. "Did you and Ms. Calendar have a good talk?"

Chloe sighed and looked away. "Yeah."

Buffy hesitated a second. "Can you and _me_ have a good talk? When this is all over?"

The blonde turned to the Slayer and then nodded.

Buffy smiled brightly and hugged Chloe tightly. "_Good_."

Surprised, Chloe hesitated a second before hugging her back, tightly.

* * *

In Buffy's basement, Cordelia paced.

"Could you sit down, or change your pattern or something?" Dean asked from where he was sitting on the ground. "You're making me queasy."

She leaned against the washer. "Because you're just sitting there. You should be thinking up a _plan_."

"I have a plan." He replied. "We wait it out. I'm not jeopardizing you."

She froze for a second, looking at him in surprise, before looking away, fighting the blush crawling up her neck. "This is stupid." She pushed away from the washer and made her way towards the stairs.

In a second Dean was on his feet and in front of her. "What're you doing?"

She stopped and turned to face him. "Going to see if it's gone."

"That's brilliant!" He snapped. "What if it isn't?"

"We can't _rot_ here." Cordelia replied, storming up the stairs, Dean hot on her heels. They stopped at the top, crouching down and giving each other anxious looks as Dean grabbed one end of the tape and pulled it off.

There weren't any worms on the other side.

Dean moved the broom aside and opened the door slowly, both teenagers looking out into the hall for any sign of the mealworms.

"He's gone." Cordelia announced before making a dash for the front door, Dean behind her.

When she came through the dining door mealworms began falling onto her from the ceiling, causing her to scream as they fell en masse.

Dean grabbed her hand and hurried her outside, letting go of her hand and racing for the hose.

"GET THEM OFF OF ME!" Cordelia screamed. "Oh, my God! GET THEM OFF!"

Dean grabbed the hose and started spraying the mealworms off of her as she continued screaming and turned her back to him, and then her front. He continuing spraying as she tried to brush them off, turning around again to let him spray her all over as she reached down the back of her dress to get some mealworms out.

"Okay, okay, let's get outta here!" She exclaimed once she felt worm-free.

He kept spraying her in spite of her protests.

"DEAN! Let's _go_!" She ordered, running for her car.

Dean followed her with the hose for another instant, and then dropped it as he followed her, jumping into her car right as she floored it, burning rubber into the street as they sped away to safety.

* * *

It had been a first period, not only had Buffy gotten attacked by another member of the Order of Taraka (who'd been masquerading as her police enforcement trainer) but the woman had escaped, and could be out there anywhere planning another attack.

"She was definitely a member of the Taraka gang, Giles." Buffy announced Chloe wrapped her knee. "And _way_ gun happy."

The door opened as Sam, Dean and Cordelia walked in.

Kendra tried to head them off.

"Down, girl!" Buffy snapped.

Kendra stopped in her tracks.

"You're never going to believe what happened to these two when they went to get some of Buffy's things." Sam announced, obviously having been picked up from his home by the other two. He paused when he saw Chloe bandaging Buffy's injured knee. "Then again, maybe you _can_."

"We had a, a rather violent visit from the Order of Taraka." Giles sighed.

"You wanna talk Order of Taraka?" Dean exclaimed. "We me the king _freak_ of the Order!"

"I had to burn my favorite suit!" Cordelia bemoaned. "And it was the first time I'd worn it at that!"

Sam frowned, suddenly noticing Kendra. "Uhm. Hello." He turned to Giles. "Who's _she_?"

Kendra looked at the floor, blushing.

"Oh, forgive me." Giles sighed. "Dean, Cordelia, Sam, this is Kendra. Uh, it's rather complicated, but she's also a Slayer."

Cordelia walked right passed her, heading for the table. "Nice to meet you."

Dean watched her in concern before turning to look at Kendra. "A Slayer, huh?" He snorted and turned to Buffy. "I _knew_ this 'I'm the only one, I'm the only one' thing was just an attention-getter."

Buffy hopped off of the counter. "Just say _hello_, Dean."

Dean shrugged and went to stand next to Cordelia and pretend that he wasn't worried about her.

Sam gave Kendra a friendly smile. "You being a Slayer is kinda confusing, but welcome anyway."

"Uh...I tank you..." Kendra kept her gaze on the ground, nevous. "I mean, sir, um...I will be of service."

Buffy and Chloe exchanged looks.

Dean sniggered, earning him a slap from Cordelia.

Sam blinked. "Uhm, well, it's good to be a giver." He turned and went to the table.

"Dean, um, this uh, assassin you and Cordelia encountered," Giles got back to topic. "What did he look like?"

Cordelia found a mealworm in her hair and freaked out, screaming as she dropped it onto a book on the table and got up. "That's it! I'm taking _another_ shower!" She ran from the library, destination (most probably) the gym showers.

Dean watched her go before sighing and pointing to the mealworm. "Like _that_."

Buffy frowned. "What's it with you and bug people, Dean?"

"This dude was completely different than praying mantis chick." Dean defended. "He was a man _of_ bugs, not a man who _was_ a bug."

Sam slammed the biology book shut on the mealworm to kill it, and sat down.

"The important thing is that everybody's alright." Giles decided. "Still, it's quite apparent that we're under serious attack."

"These Taraka are definitely serious." Buffy agreed, motioning to her bandaged knee.

"And I fear the worst is still to come." Giles sat down. "I've, I-I've discovered the remaining keys to Drusilla's cure. The, uh, the ritual requires the presence of her sire, and it must take place in a church on the night of the new moon."

Chloe looked up, stomach going queasy.

"The new moon." Sam frowned. "But that's tonight."

"Exactly." Giles nodded. "And I'm sure the assassin were here to kill Buffy before she could put a stop to things."

"They need Drusilla's sire." Chloe whispered.

Giles looked up. "Yes."

"Chloe?" Buffy turned to her friend, worried. "What is it?"

"Angel." Chloe turned to her. "He's Drusilla's sire."

"Man, that guy got major neck in his day." Dean murmured.

Chloe ignored him, stepping towards Giles. "Will this ritual kill him?"

Giles closed his eyes for a second before nodding. "Yes, I'm afraid it will."

"We need to find this church." Chloe whispered, heart beating a million beats per second, terror killing her. "We need to find where this ritual is gonna take place!"

"Agreed, and we must work quickly." Giles nodded, checking his watch. "We have five hours before sundown."

Sam opened his laptop. "Don't worry Chlo, we'll save Angel."

"Angel?" Kendra looked at them as if she couldn't believe it. "But our priority is to stop Drusilla!"

Chloe made to get up, but Buffy's hand over her shoulder kept her seated.

"Angel's our _friend_." Dean glared at Kendra.

"Look," Buffy turned to her fellow Slayer. "You've got your priorities, and we're got ours. Right now, they mesh. So, are you gonna help us or are you gonna get out of our way?"

Kendra looked her up and down as she considered. "I'm wit you."

"Good." Buffy nodded.

"I've _had_ it." Chloe growled from where she sat. "Spike could do all he wanted to _me_, that was fine, but _nobody _messes with my boyfriend!"

Buffy looked at Chloe, wondering what exactly Spike had done to her.

Kendra just continued to look at them as if they were insane.

* * *

These people were insane.

That was the only conclusion Kendra could draw from this whole situation.

Mr. Giles came out of the stacks and headed towards the stairs with a large volume full of pictures. He went to where Sam was websurfing on his laptop and looked down at the screen as he sat next to him. "There are forty-three churches in Sunnydale?" He pulled out a roll of mints. "That seems a little excessive." He tore off some wrapping.

"It's the extra evil vibe from the Hellmouth." Sam announced, not looking up from the screen. "Makes people pray harder."

"Well, check and see if any of them are closed, or abandoned." Mr. Giles offered him a breath mint before getting back up and continuing over to where Dean and Cordelia were at the table.

"We've got monsters, we got demons, but no bug dude or police lady." Dean sighed, looking up from the book he'd been going through.

Mr. Giles set the volume down in front of them and opened it. "Well, you should have better luck with this one. There's a whole section devoted to the Order of Taraka."

Kendra looked at the from where she was sitting and Buffy was sharpening a knife. "And dose two, dey also know you are de Slayer?"

"Yep." Buffy nodded.

She frowned at her. "Did anyone explain to you what 'secret identity' means?" She went to the desk.

"Nope, must be in the _handbook_. Right after the chapter on personality removal." She looked up when Kendra picked up the crossbow. "Be careful with that thing!"

"Please." Kendra snorted, ignoring Buffy's comment on personality. "I'm an _expert_ in all weapons."

The bolt flew off of the crossbow and broke a lamp, startling everyone, and embarrassing Kendra.

"Is everything alright?" Mr. Giles asked.

"Yeah, it's okay." Buffy sighed. "Kendra killed the bad lamp."

"Sorry! Dis, uh, trigger mechanism is different." She set down the bow, face red. "Perhaps when dis is over you can, uh, show me how it works."

"When this is over I'm thinking pineapple pizza and teen video fest. Possibly something from the Ringwald oeuvre."

Kendra was a little confused as to the reference and just looked around, eyes narrowing as they landed on Chloe, who was sitting in the corner, Indian style, eyes closed. "What is she doing?"

"She's trying to connect with the Hellmouth vibes and see if she can feel where the abnormal amount of energy is congregated and thus have an idea where the ceremony is going to be held." Buffy announced as if this should be obvious. "She did it before when we were in the Master's Lair, and it helped us find where the Hellmouth was going to open and stop the Master once and for all."

"She...can _connect_...with the Hellmouth?" Kendra frowned, unable to understand this. "I have never heard of anything like dis in de past. How is it possible?"

"We don't know. She just does."

Kendra gave the blonde meditating a wary look.

"Oh, here we go!" Dean exclaimed. "Found the bug man."

Mr. Giles and Sam looked up.

"Okay, okay." Dean held up the book. "It says that he can only be killed when he's in his disassembled state." He turned to Cordelia teasingly. "Disassembled. That mans when he's broken down into his little buggy parts."

She smirked. "I know what it means, _dorkhead_."

He took mock offense. "Dorkhead! You _slash_ me with your words!"

Mr. Giles sighed, and Sam rolled his eyes at them.

Kendra looked away, now handling a stake. "Your life is very different dan mine."

"You mean the part where I occasionally have one?" Buffy carved at a stake. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"De tings you do and have, I was taught, distract from my calling." Kendra admitted. "Friends, school...even family."

Buffy paused. "Even family?"

"My parents, dey sent me to my Watcher when I was very young."

"How young?" Buffy frowned.

"I don't remember dem, actually." Kendra admitted softly. "I've seen pictures, but, uh, dat's how seriously de calling is taken by my people. My modder and fadder gave me to my Watcher because dey believed dat dey were doing de right ting for me, and for de world." She put down the stake and got a sympathetic look from Buffy. "Please, I don't feel sorry for meself. Why should you?"

"I don't know, I... I guess it just sounds very lonely."

"Emotions are weakness, Buffy. You shouldn't entertain dem."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Kendra, my emotions give me power. They're total assets!"

Kendra picked up her knife. "Maybe. For you. But I prefer to keep an even mind." She wiped the blade.

"Excuse me, ladies."

They both looked up as Sam walked towards them.

Kendra looked down at the floor while he grabbed a book from the desk.

Sam noticed her knife. "Nice knife." He then turned and left, opening the book and becoming immersed in it.

Kendra sighed as she looked up and watched him go.

"I'm guessing dating isn't big with your Watcher either."

"I'm not permitted to speak with boys." Kendra confessed.

Buffy opened her mouth to comment on that when suddenly a scream erupted from the corner of the room, causing everyone to turn to look at Chloe.

She was lying on on the ground, back arched up from it, mouth opened, terrifying screams coming from within.

"_Chloe_?" Sam was suddenly by her side, on his knees, terror on his face as he tried to push her down, her back arching at a nearly inhuman degree. "Chloe! Calm down! Let go of the connection Chlo! Let _go_!"

Her eyes flew open, and they were jet black.

"What is going on?" Kendra asked, as the others hurried to where Sam was.

Dean bent towards Chloe.

"Don't _touch_ her!" Sam snapped, causing his brother to stop in his tracks. "She's emitting pure Hellmouth energy. It's _toxic _to anything alive."

"Then why are you---?" Dean started.

"I'm used to being her conduit in Ms. Calendar's sessions." Sam grunted as he straddled Chloe's body, pressing his hands down on her shoulders to keep her grounded. "Think of it like snake venom, you get used to it in little quantities you can withstand the true bite when it happens." Still, he hissed slightly as if in pain. "Chloe, c'mon baby, let go of it. Have the strength to let go of it."

Kendra looked between them, frowning.

_Baby_?

Wasn't this Chloe with a vampire?

"C'mon...we'll find him another way...we'll..." Sam suddenly grunted in pain, closing his eyes tightly, and when they opened, they were pitch black as well. "_Fuck_!"

"Sammy?" Dean whispered, worry deep in his voice.

"Church. Elms Street." Sam grunted. "Abandoned. A large cross....that's where they are."

Giles looked through the list of churches. "Elms Street...Our Holy Mother Of Miracles. We've got it."

"That's it Chlo..." Sam whispered, closing his eyes. "They got it. Now let it go. Come on....that's my girl....yesssss."

Buffy and Dean exchanged worried looks.

Sam kept his eyes closed, and slowly, _slowly_, Chloe's body went still underneath him, her eyes falling shut as well.

"Chloe?" Buffy whispered.

"She's sleeping." Sam's voice was hoarse, opening his now blue/green eyes as he collapsed next to Chloe, looking as if he'd been put through hell. "She connected with the Hellmouth directly. She---she shouldn't have----she could have _died----should've died_----_damn_ Angel." Sam closed his eyes. "Can't...keep...need...sleep."

And with that he fell asleep next to Chloe on the ground.

Dean made a movement towards his brother.

"_Stop." _Giles grabbed his hand. "You heard Sam. You can't touch them. Not yet."

"But---!" Dean looked down at his brother, torn.

"The best thing we can do is do our job." Giles told him. "We need to stop Spike from killing Angel and reviving Drusilla. They did what they needed to do so we could do _this_."

"But---!"

"I'll stay here with them." Cordelia told him. "If anything goes south, I'll call an ambulance."

Dean looked at her, before nodding. "Okay."

She gave him a small, encouraging smile.

Dean turned to the others. "Let's do this."

* * *

Drusilla knelt between Angel's spread-apart legs, holding a little pitcher of holy water above him.

"Say 'Uncle'." She lowered the pitcher. "Oh, that's right, you _killed_ my uncle." She was about to pour some onto his chest again when Spike came in.

"That's it, then." He announced. "Off to church."

Drusilla stood up, pouting. "It makes pretty colors."

"Pfft! I'll see him die soon enough." Spike announced. "I've never been much for the pre-show." He reached up to untie one of Angel's bond while Drusilla put away the holy water and got Miss Edith.

"Too bad." Angel groaned in pain. "That's what Drusilla likes best, as I recall.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Spike snarled as he stepped over to the other bond.

"Ask her." Angel goaded. "She knows what I mean."

Drusilla had come back to stand behind Spikes shoulder, and he turned his head to face her. "Well?"

She ignored him, instead speaking to Angel. "Shhhh! Grrrruff! Bad dog!"

"You shoulda let me talk to him, Dru." Angel sneered, trying to turn one against the other. "Sounds like your boy could use some pointers." He turned to Spike. "She likes to be teased."

Spike finished untying the other bond and threw it to the floor. "Keep your hole shut!"

"Take care of her, Spike." Angel taunted. "The way she touched me just now? I can tell when she's not satisfied."

Spike looked like he was about to explode, and then he stopped, sneering. "_Really_? I don't recall your delicious lil' bird voicing any complaints as I pounded her into the ground."

Angel's smirk began to fade from his face.

"If I recall correctly," Spike chuckled. "She was _thoroughly_ satisfied. _Multiple_ times."

"_Shut up!_" Angel snarled, vicious. "Don't you _dare_ talk about her you filthy _dog_!"

"I'll talk about her as much as I like." Spike rejoined. "The moon is rising, you're time is up, old boy. And when you're dead and Drusilla's strong agin, I'm think we'll sire that little girl of yours. Dru's rather fond of her, actually. Always saying how she wants to know her more."

Angel's eyes went gold as he vamped out. "Neither of you are going to touch her!"

Drusilla giggled. "Oh, silly Angel, we already _have_."

* * *

In the nave of the church, Spike walked up the main aisle from the alter with a burning incense censer. "Eligor. I name thee. Bringer of war, poisoners, pariahs, grand obscenity." He turned back to the alter, where Angel and Drusilla were both strapped together to a chain that hung from the ceiling. Angel's right hand was tied to the chain above his head. "Eligor, wretched master of decay, bring your black medicine."

"Black medicine." Drusilla echoed weakly.

Spike set the censer down on the altar and picked up the Du Lac Cross with his gloved hand. "Come." He held the cross upside-down. "Restore your most impious, murderous child."

"Murderous child." Drusilla whispered.

He grabbed the downward-pointing tip of the cross with his other hand and yanked down, pulling out a dagger, before resting the rest of the cross back on the altar. "From the blood of the sire she is risen." He took Drusilla's left hand and raised it to Angel's. She clapsed it. "From the blood of the sire, she shall rise again."

With one swift stroke, Spiked stabbed the blade through their hands, Angel screaming in agony as a blindingly bright pink light emanated from their wounds.

A pulse of energy spread out, and then the light died back down to a faint glimmer as Angel's strength began to ebb from him into Drusilla.

She drooped backward, feeling Angel's energy flow into her.

"Right, then!" Spike grinned. "Now we just let them come to a simmering boil, and remove to a low flame."

That was, of course, when the Slayer barged in through the doors.

"Who the _hell_ invited you to this party?" Spike snarled, turning towards her.

The Slayer noticed Angel and Drusilla tied together at the altar. "_Angel_." She whispered.

"Yeah." Spike stepped over to her. "It bugs me too, seeing him like that. Another five minutes, though, and Angel will be dead, so...I forebear." He smirked. "Don't feel bad for Angel though, he's got something you don't have."

"And what's that?" She snapped.

"Five minutes. Patrice!"

Two vampires rushed forwards to grab the Slayer while the member of the Order of Taraka who'd been unable to kill the Slayer in her school earlier came forth from hiding place, drawing her gun.

The other door suddenly burst open, and some dark-skinned chick came in doing a series of backflips, ending in a flying double kick, one foot to the back of each of the vampires' heads. They fell to the ground, pushing Buffy into Spike, knocking him down.

The dark-skinned girl landed on her feet, ready to fight, and wasted no time running over to Spike as he got up, meeting Buffy there to fight him.

"Who the _hell_ is this?" Spike snarled.

She grabbed him by his shirt.

"It's your lucky day, Spike." The Slayer grinned, standing up.

"Two Slayers!" the dark skinned girl decked him.

"No waiting!" The blonde jabbed him.

Spike fell but quickly got up.

Buffy broke off to fight Patrice, leaving the dark skinned Slayer to fight Spike.

Since when were there more than one bloody Slayer _anyway_?

He ducked a roundhouse kick from her, landing a punch to her face, knocking her down, and she scrambled to avoid his follow-up kick.

Spike hardly noticed as the rest of the annoying _do-gooders _arrived and engaged his men in fight.

Kendra jumped over Spike when he tried to knock her legs out from under her. She tried another roundhouse kick but he blocked it, using the momentum of the block to spin around and hit her again. She swung at Spike and was easily blocked, Spike landing another hit on her.

The vampire laughed at how _easy_ it was to fight this Slayer as he punched her again, following up with a roundhouse kick as she hit the floor, stumbling as she scrambled back up again.

"Switch!" Buffy called, bending over and Kendra rolled over her back to face Patrice, immediately landing a punch and knocking her into the wall.

Buffy turned to face Spike. "I'd rather be fighting you anyway."

He smirked. "Didn't realize how much I meant to you."

She blocked his thrust, then kicked him in the face and again the gut, causing him to double over and fall to the floor.

Buffy blocked a punch from Spike, and another, but then he landed a punch to her stomach and then to her face. She blocked his next swing and held his arm while she punched him twice in the face. The petite bitch grabbed his coat and pulled him around, throwing him over several pews, and into the wall.

Spike was a little dazed by the blow.

"_Spike_!" Dru called weakly.

Shaking his head, he looked up to see that Bitchy was trying to untie them.

Snarling, he got up and raced towards them, grabbing Bitchy and shoving her to the floor. He backhand punched her as she got back up, knocking her down again, and taking a torch from its wall hander, he threw it into a pile of old drapes, setting them ablaze.

"Look out!" The short male do-gooder friend of Bitchy called out as he was the first to notice.

Spike unstrapped Drusilla from Angel. "Sorry, baby. Gotta go." He lifted her into his arms and started down the aisle. "Hope that was enough."

With nothing holding him up anymore, Angel fell to the floor behind them.

Buffy crawled over towards him before noticing Spike making his escape.

She stood and grabbed the censer from the alter, swinging it around her head by its chain a few times and launched it at Spike.

It hit him in the back of the head and he stumbled into the church organ, the keyboard console collapsing under his weight.

"I feel better now!" She exclaimed.

A moment later the organ superstructure collapsed onto Spike and Drusilla, with its huge brass pipes clanging and rolling everywhere.

Buffy smirked before turning to Angel and helping him sit up. "Hey you."

He looked up at her, half unconscious. "Chloe?"

Buffy smiled down at him. "She needs you right about now, so don't you die on us."

He nodded, closing his eyes.

Kendra ran over and crouched down next to Buffy and Angel. "Let's get him out!"

Angel moaned as they began to help him out.

"Careful." Buffy told her colleague.

"C'mon." Kendra encouraged.

With their help he got to his feet, Kendra getting under his arm to support him.

The others ran out of the church as the three of them made their way up the aisle and out the other door.

The wreckage of the organ caught on fire.

* * *

In the front of the school the next day, Buffy walked Kendra to her taxi.

"Now, when you get to the airport..." Buffy prompted.

"I get on de plane with me ticket, and sit in a seat." Kendra dutifully repeated what she'd been told. "Not de cargo hold."

"Very good." Buffy smiled. While at first she'd disliked Kendra, she'd come to the conclusion in the end that she really wasn't that bad.

"Dat is _not_ traveling under cover." Kendra made a face.

"Exactly. Relax! You earned it." Buffy smiled. "Sit in your seat, eat your peanuts, you watch the movie---well---unless its about a dog or Chevy Chase."

"I'll remember." Kendra nodded slowly as she opened the cab door.

"Thank you." Buffy finally sighed.

Kendra smiled at her and got into the cab.

Buffy held up her hand in goodbye as the taxi pulled away.

"Well..._that_ was an experience." Giles sighed as he came to stand next to her, watching the cab drive away.

"Tell me about it." She chuckled warily. "Have you heard word about the others?"

"Yes." Giles nodded. "Dean called to say that Sam is alright, just weak and sleeping off his exposure to the Hellmouth energy. Thankfully their father is off on one of his business trips so he hasn't noticed. And Gabe called to tell me that Chloe's doing the same, with Angel watching over her."

"He's weak himself after what happened." Buffy commented.

"Yes, and I think that has earned him some points in Gabe's eyes...to see the devotion those two have for each other." Giles replied, before sighing. "I also spoke to Ms. Calendar this morning, concerning the conversation she had with Chloe."

Buffy looked up, worried. "Is it bad?"

Giles pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Is it ever anything else on the Hellmouth?"

Buffy sighed and leaned her head against his arm. "_Great_."

* * *

In the darkness of the evening, Drusilla burst out of the rubble of the church, whose fire had burnt itself out before it could truly do any damage. She breathed in the scent of prey and grinned, vamped out, as she reached for an unconscious Spike, grabbing him by the arm.

"Don't worry, dear heart." She began to pull him off of the floor and held him up by his arm, his head drooping down. "I'll see that you get strong again." She scooped up his legs with her other arm. "Just like _me_!" And with that she slowly carried him from the charred remains of the church.

* * *

**Review?**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Supernatural.

* * *

In her room, Chloe woke up with a start, putting a hand to her head. She felt groggy, having spent the last couple of days sleeping thanks to her body's exposure to the pure, dark and consuming energy of the Hellmouth. Chloe had been scolded by everyone for that act, but she couldn't really care. It was because she'd connected to it that they were able to find Angel, and that was all that mattered to the blonde. She was sorry that Sam had gotten mixed up into it, and she felt guilty about _that_, but not about anything else.

Every since that _thing_, Chloe had been sleeping most of the day, dazed and weak in bed. She felt Angel by her most of the time, and it made her feel better, safer. As long as Angel was with her she didn't care about anything else. He was the person she loved most in the world, he was her near _obsession_. And, if his actions were anything to go by, he was feeling so more and more.

This was actually the first time she'd woken up and he wasn't by her side, obviously having gone out for something important.

Maybe to get blood.

He needed blood to heal after what had been done to him, and unfortunately Chloe was too weak to give him any of hers.

Plus, she was kinda worried that her blood might still be contaminated with the darkness in the Hellmouth energy. Her whole being still was, which was why she'd requested her father not come to her room until she was back to health, and while he hadn't been too happy about it, from what she could tell he'd stayed away, leaving the tending of her to Angel.

It worried her a little, since tending to her left Angel in close contact with the pure, evil energies, and he was still so very _weak_...

At least Sam had gotten better after two days and was back to normal...or so Buffy had told her on the phone during the few moment Chloe had been awake a couple of days ago.

With a sigh, she reached over to her lamp and turned it on. The blonde took her glass from her nightstand for a drink, but found it nearly empty. She got up to fill it, a little weak on her feet and yet refusing to go back to bed, making her way out of the room and down the hall.

Feeling something behind her, Chloe turned, eyes widening when she saw Drusilla behind her, stalking her.

"Hello, my little hell." The vampiress smiled, all fangs.

Screaming, Chloe opened the door to the bathroom and suddenly found herself at the Bronze.

She stopped fleeing in her surprise, looking behind her to find the door, and Drusilla, both gone.

Confused, the blonde walked deeper into the Bronze, noticing Sam sitting at a table with a large cup of cappuccino and an organ grinder's monkey, both having an intense in fluent french, none of which she understood.

Dean and Cordelia were on the dance floor, dancing a tango, a rose held between Dean's teeth.

Chloe tilted her head slightly as she watched them.

"Chloe."

She turned to see her father, holding a large cup and saucer.

"Do you really think you're ready, Chloe?" He asked.

"What?" She asked.

Gabe dropped the saucer, and Chloe watched it as it fell and shattered on the floor.

Her father just turned and slowly walked away.

Chloe watched him go, and then looked around the room again.

Giles had Buffy over his lap, spanking her.

Buffy looked like she was enjoying it _way_ too much.

Chloe walked passed them _quickly_ and went through the crowd to the stage. It was empty, no band tonight. The blonde turned around and smiled warmly as she saw Angel standing at the pool table.

He smiled and started towards her.

She hopped off of the stage and began to walk towards him.

Suddenly Drusilla appeared behind Angel, vamped out, and thrusted a stake into his back, pulling it out.

He arched in pain.

"ANGEL!" Chloe screamed in horror.

They reached out for each other, but before she could touch him, his hand began to disintegrate. The rings on his fingers fell to the floor, and while his body didn't explode like most vampires' it just crumbled to dust.

Drusilla lowered the stake and took the few steps over to Chloe, reaching out to touch her face. "My pretty, fiery hell." She came closer. "Happy Incarnation Day. Let's blow out the candles _together_." And with that she sunk her teeth deep into Chloe's neck.

With a scream Chloe woke up, jolting up in her bed, hand going to her uninjured neck, looking around her, disoriented by the darkness and scared, _terrified_.

"Chloe?" Angel's voice came to her in the darkness, his cold hands reaching for her.

"_Angel_?" She whimpered, tears making their way to her eyes.

"Baby, it's me, you're okay." Angel whispered, pulling her towards him. "It was just a nightmare. Whatever it was. It was just a nightmare. You're okay."

Chloe gave a little cry as she threw herself on him, realizing that they were on her bed, and that the room was so dark because he'd placed thick blankets over the windows to keep out the sunlight. "_Angel_!"

He held her close to him, caressing her hair. "Hey." He tightened his hold on her as she began to shiver. "Is everything okay?"

"I---I dreamt that Drusilla was alive. And---and---she _killed_ you. Right in _front _of me."

"It was just a dream." He sighed, pressing a kiss to her head. "It wasn't real."

"But it _felt_ so real." She closed her eyes tightly. "And I've had dreams that have come true before. Like--like the ones I had about the Master."

"Still, not every dream you have comes true." Angel reassured her. "I mean, what _else_ did you dream?"

She took in a deep, calming breath. "Uhm, Giles was spanking Buffy, Sam was having a heated debate in french with a monkey, and Dean and Cordy were dancing the tango."

"See my point?" Angel asked, sounding amused.

The blonde exhaled. "Yeah, I-I do, but...what if Drusilla is alive? We never saw her body."

"She's not." He whispered into her hair, hands caressing her back. "But even if she was, we'd deal."

"W-w-what if she is..."

He kissed her, and she was too weak of character to do anything but respond, fiercely.

Chloe whimpered, somehow wriggling so that she was completely on top of him, straddling him on the bed.

"_Chlo_..." He hissed, hands digging harder into her back as her hands went to his hair.

"_My Angel_..." She whispered, groaning in complaint when he stopped kissing her, and instead pressed his lips to her forehead.

"You're too weak still, Chloe." He whispered.

"No, I'm _not_." She denied, bucking down against him.

He gave a little snarl, hands going to her hips. "_Chlo-e_. We _can't_."

"Why _not_?" She tried bucking again, but he had a good hold on her hips and kept them in place.

"Because if we do that, then I'm going to do _that_, and you're weak enough as it is."

She sighed, understanding, stopping her struggling and instead resigning herself to laying on top of him. "You're right. I'm sorry. I---I just miss you...in me...in both ways."

He gave a little groan at that. "You're trying to kill me."

"You're already dead." She snarked.

He barked out laughter. "Yes, I am."

Chloe finally began to relax, taking in a deep breath, smiling as she rested against him. "I love you."

"And I adore you." He whispered back. "How are you feeling now? Do you need anything? I brought up anything you could need from downstairs last night so the sunlight wouldn't keep me from having you comfortable."

"My very own Florence Nightingale."

"Damn right." Angel announced. "Now if only those fucking annoying humans would leave us _alone_ I could fully concentrate on taking care of you."

Chloe frowned. "Angel...?"

He growled. "They don't understand that you need to rest. The damned Slayer and her Watcher keep calling or trying to come visit to talk about---about what you told that Calendar woman and---."

Chloe went stiff. "Do _you_ know what I told Jenny?"

There was silence, before he nodded. "Yes. I overheard your conversation."

Chloe tried to push away, but found Angel's grip on her hips unforgiving, not allowing her to move. "_Angel_?"

"You're the Master's daughter." He responded curtly. "_So what?_"

She paused, surprised, wishing desperately that she could see his face in this darkness. "I _might_ be his daughter. And---and you _can't_ be so flippant about it. You said so yourself! Anything the Master ever made was pure evil!"

"So?"

She blinked. "_So_?"

"Chloe, I love you. You're _mine_. I don't care who or _what_ you are, that doesn't change it. And if the Slayer or the Watcher or any of those fucking goody-two-shoes try to hurt you, I'll make what I did in Europe look like childsplay."

In one sense, it was comforting to hear that.

But in another sense...

Chloe frowned into the darkness, before suddenly it made sense. "It's the energy." She closed her eyes with a groan, trying to get off of him again. "How _stupid_ could I be? You're weak, you nearly _died_, and I had you taking care of me while I was _infected_ and _emitting_ pure Hellmouth energy. I've contaminated you. You're talking like _Angelus_."

He was silent, but wouldn't let go of her hips.

"When the sun sets you need to get out of the house and spend some days away from me to detox." Chloe told him, seriously. "I--." She gave a little squeal as suddenly their positions were reversed, and she was pinned beneath Angel's hard, chiseled body. "_Angel_?"

But then he was kissing her, and once again, Chloe showed her own weakness of character by groaning and arching into the kiss.

* * *

In Spike's warehouse, Dalton came in, carrying a large wooden box. "I have your packages."

"Just put it on the table...near the other gifts." Spike rolled into the room in a wheelchair, Drusilla followed him, guiding the chair. He turned to look at her. "Are you dead set on this, pet? Wouldn't you rather have your party in Vienna?"

"But the invitations are sent."

"Yeah." He looked down at his wheelchair in disgust. "It's just I've had it with this place. Nothing ever comes off like it's supposed to."

Drusilla leaned in and placed her hands on his chest. "My gatherings are always perfect. Remember Spain?" She crouched next to him. "Hey....The bulls?" She walked her fingers up his arm.

"I remember, sweet. But Sunnydale's cursed for us. Angel and the Slayer see to that."

"Shhhh...." She whispered into his ear. "I've got good games for everyone." She licked his cheek. "You'll see." The brunette walked over to the table and inspected the roses and other red flowers that had been woven into the high backs of the chairs. She stepped up to one. "These flowers...are wrong." The decorators looked worried. "They're all...wrong!" She moaned, and _Spike_ looked worried. "I can't abide them!" She screamed and ripped at them.

"Let's try something different with the flowers then." Spike told the decorators, who nodded with hasty agreement.

She looked at him and calmed down a bit, before eyeing the boxes on the table and slowly walking to them. "Can I open one? Can I?"

Spike smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Can I?" Dru pleaded. "Ooooo."

"Just a peek, love." Spike grinned.

She excitedly reached for the latch one one of them.

"They're for the party." Spike wheeled himself over to her.

Drusilla lifted the lid, inhaled in wonder, and smiled.

"Do you like it, baby?"

"It _reeks_ of death." She giggled before turning to kneel in front of Spike. "This will be the best party ever."

"Why is that?" Spike wanted to know.

"Because..." She stood back up and leaned towards the box. "It will be the _last_."

She slammed the lid shut.

* * *

"Who was that?" Buffy looked up when she entered the library to see Giles putting down the phone.

"Chloe." The Watcher replied.

Buffy smiled. "She's awake? We should go see her!"

"You heard Angel the last time we wanted to check up on her, and he was right. She needs her rest, plus she isn't the safest person to be around while she's emitting pure Hellmouth energy." Giles reminded her. "But she says she's feeling better and should be back to school tomorrow."

"Remind me why _he_ gets to be with her twenty four seven and yet we can't pop in for a quick visit to make sure she's not on her deathbed?" Buffy pouted, sitting down on the table, folding her arms over her chest.

"Because pure Hellmouth energy is toxic to anyone _living_." Giles eyed her.

"Right." Buffy sighed. "Oh well. She'll be back to school tomorrow and we can see her for ourselves."

"Isn't tomorrow her birthday?" Giles asked, curiously.

Buffy nodded. "The Winch Bros, Cordelia, Ms. Calendar and I were thinking that it would be good, you know, if she was strong by then, to have a group therapy-talk thing. You know, to let her know that despite everything we still see her the same way. That, even if she _is_..." she winced. "The _Master's_ daughter---which I refuse to believe, by the way---that we still love her."

Giles smiled. "I'm sure it would mean a lot to her. She needs you all more than ever now."

Buffy smiled.

Giles suddenly frowned. "She was worried. She---apparently she had a nightmare that Drusilla was alive and had killed Angel. She seemed very disturbed by it."

"Well, it can be expected, with all that Hellmouthy energy in her, its _bound_ to give her nightmares." Buffy concluded.

Giles nodded. "I thought so as well."

Buffy got up and grinned. "I'm off to tell the others to start planning the therapy!" And with that, she was off.

* * *

The next morning, Chloe had awoken alone in her room (which meant that Angel had respected her wishes and was staying away for a while) and while she missed him she knew this was the best for them right now. Last night had showed her that being cooped up in a small room with her for days while he was in that weakened state had made her infect him somewhat with the Hellmouth energy and it would do him some good to be away from her. And...and anyway, it would be torture to be with Angel right now. She'd want to...and they wouldn't have been able to.

Like last night.

They'd come so close before they just had to pull away, knowing that him drinking her blood wasn't the smartest thing to happen at the moment.

"Honey." Her father hugged her tightly when she'd descended the stairs and gone to the kitchen, where he was making breakfast. "What are you doing up?"

"I'm going to school." She smiled, hugging him before pulling back.

Gabe frowned. "Angel said---."

"Angel's too overprotective." Chloe replied with a shrug. "I'm fine now. I----I need to go to school.

Gabe shook his had and reached for a plate, taking it to where he'd been frying eggs. "Do you really think you're ready, Chloe?"

She looked up at him in shock.

And then Gabe's grip on the plate slipped...causing it to fall and shatter on the floor.

* * *

Giles paced as Chloe sat on the table, having skipped her first period classes to go straight to the library to tell him about what had happened to her that morning.

"...and then my dad broke the plate." She announced, looking up at him, worried. "It was just like my dream. Every gesture, every word. It was so _creepy_."

"Yes, well, I-I-I'd imagine it would be...fairly unnerving." He sat on the end of the table.

The door swung open, and Dean, Sam and Buffy appeared, talking amongst themselves, worried, but then they stopped in their tracks when they saw Chloe there.

Giles noticed the stiffness in the girl's body as she looked at them, nervous.

And then the three laughed and called her name, hurrying towards her and pulling her into a group hug.

Giles smiled as the relief became evident in the girl's face and she hugged them back.

"We thought you hadn't come again since you weren't in our first classes!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Happy Birthday." Dean smiled at her.

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked her, hand going to pull a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"Um, a little wigged." The blonde admitted.

The three lost their smiles.

"Are you still feeling ill?" Dean wanted to know.

"You should lay down." Buffy decided.

"You should have stayed home if you still weren't feeling a hundred percent better." Sam scolded, hand going to her forehead to check her temperature.

Chloe looked at them with eyes wide, obviously a little overwhelmed by their concern.

"It's not that." Giles decided to save her. "It's just that a part of the night Chloe had the other night actually transpired."

"What nightmare?" Sam frowned.

"The one where Drusilla was alive?" Buffy went still.

Chloe nodded. "Which means that if part of that dream became true, the Drusilla part could as well. She might be alive. I---in my dreams I couldn't stop her. She blindsided me. She blindsided us _all_. None of us were ready for her. And then...Angel was gone before I knew what happened."

"Even if she is alive, uh, we can still protect Angel." Giles reassured her. "Dreams aren't prophecies, Chloe. You remember your dreams about the Master rising and yet Buffy stopped it."

"She ground his bones to make her bread." Dean agreed.

"That's true." Buffy nodded. "Except for the bread part."

"We just need to stay one step ahead of this." Sam decided.

"Absolutely." Giles replied, standing. "Let me read up on Drusilla, uh, see if she has any particular patterns." He started towards his office. "Why don't we all meet at your house at 7:00? We'll map out a strategy."

Chloe nodded. "Okay."

Dean placed his arm around her shoulder. "Now, history awaits."

She smiled up at him, and the others, before following them out.

Giles watched them go.

* * *

Buffy and Jenny (who was giving her the ride) were late coming to the meeting.

Chloe was a little worried, but when Angel arrived she'd forgotten about Buffy and Jenny, giving him both a tender and an annoyed look.

"I thought we'd talked about this." Chloe went towards him as Giles, Gabe and Sam engaged in conversation, and Dean and Cordelia argued as per usual.

"You don't _hurt_ me, Chloe." He whispered, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him. "Plus, it's my girl's birthday. I couldn't stay away even if hell itself were trying to keep me."

She smiled, stepping up on her tiptoes and pressing a kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"Me too." He whispered against his lips. "And sometimes, I'm sure that Angelus does as well...or as close to love as Angelus could ever feel."

She blinked at him in surprise, hand over his unbeating heart. "Is that so?"

Angel nodded, tightening his hold on her and smiling down possessively and contentedly. "For the first time ever he isn't fighting me about something I want or do. He wants you just as fiercely as I do."

"I'm wondering whether to feel complimented." She admitted.

He laughed. "Do. This is the closest to actual _feelings_ that Angelus has ever experienced."

"I _will_ take it as a compliment then." She reached up and kissed him longer.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Jenny and Buffy appeared, both bringing in a heavy looking box.

"Jenny?" Gabe asked as he and Giles hurried to help the women with the box.

"Some vampires were stealing from this van---the same vampire I saw in the Du Lac mausoleum was one of them." Buffy announced as the box was lowered. "I dusted most of them...but that same one escaped."

"And they left this behind." Jenny was bent over, gasping for breath.

"What _is_ it?" Cordelia asked, making a face.

"I have no idea." Giles frowned. "Can, can it be opened?"

"Yeah." Buffy nodded. "This looks like a release right here." She worked the latch and opened the box.

Inside was an arm clad in armor.

Buffy looked over at Giles in disgust, and then suddenly the arm raised up, grabbing Buffy by the throat and beginning to choke her.

* * *

Buffy struggled with the arm, Giles tried to get it off of her. Between them they got it off, and Giles stuffed it back into the box while Buffy stepped back and tried to catch her breath. The Watcher slammed the lid shut, and Buffy coughed.

"Well, clearly that is the Hellmouth's answer to 'what do you get the girl who has everything'?" Dean announced.

Cordelia smacked him up the back of his head.

"Good heavens." Giles was by Buffy's side in a second. "Are you all right?"

Jenny sat down on the lid of the box, just in case.

"Man, that thing had major grip." Buffy cough, voice hoarse, hand on her throat.

"What _was_ that?" Sam asked what they all were thinking.

"It looked like an arm." Chloe stated the obvious.

"It _can't_ be." Angel whispered to himself, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "She _wouldn't_."

"Angel?" Chloe asked, turning to her lover.

"It--it's a legend." The vampire turned to her. "Way before my time...of a demon brought forth to rid the Earth of the plague of humanity...separate the righteous from the wicked...and to burn the righteous down. They call him the Judge."

"The Judge?" Giles frowned. "This is he?"

"Not _all_ of him." Angel responded.

Buffy raised her hand. "Uh, still needing backstory here."

"Um...he couldn't be killed, yes?" Giles asked, vaguely remembering something he'd read years ago. "Um, a-an army was sent against him. Most of them died....but finally they were able to dismember him, but, not kill him."

Angel nodded. "The pieces were scattered...buried in every corner of the Earth."

"So all these parts are being brought here." Jenny announced, putting it all together.

"By Drusilla." Buffy agreed. "The vamps outside were Spike's men."

"She's just crazy enough to do it." Angel nodded.

"Do what?" Gabe frowned. "Reassemble the Judge?"

"And bring forth Armageddon." Angel finished.

"These bad guys are _so_ unoriginal." Cordelia bemoaned. "It's _always_ 'let's end the world'."

"We need to get this out of town." Giles announced.

Everyone looked at each other.

Chloe took in a deep breath and grabbed Angel's hand. "We'll do it."

"_What_?" Gabe turned to her in shock.

"Dad, I know you don't want to hear this, but it's the only way." Chloe announced. "Giles and Buffy can't do it because they have to stay here with the Hellmouth, and Sam and Dean can't do it, they can't afford the trip and even if they could they wouldn't know what to do with it. And asking Cordelia to do it is out of the question."

"Amen." Cordelia announced.

"Angel knows Europe, hell, he knows the _world_. He can find a place to get it to safety. And I---," she took in a deep breath. "It would do me a _lot_ of good to get away from the Hellmouth for a while. And a couple of months seems like _heaven_ for me right now."

"Months?" Gabe whispered.

"She's right." Angel stepped forwards. "We gotta get this to the remotest region possible."

"But that's not months." Gabe insisted.

Angel gestured grandly. "We gotta catch a cargo ship to Asia, maybe trek to Nepal..."

"You know," Sam spoke up. "Those newfangled flying machines _really_ are much safer than they used to be."

"Angel can't fly." Chloe answered. "There's no sure way to guard against the daylight."

Gabe sighed, lowering his head. "Chloe, you're my only child. How can---how can you ask me to accept this?"

"Oh _dad_." Chloe whispered, going to him and hugging him tightly. "I love you so _much_, but I need you to let me go. Unlike mom, I'm coming back."

He hesitated before hugging her tighter. "Make sure you do, young lady. Or you're _grounded_."

She laughed through her tears. "Yes sir."

"When?" Buffy asked Angel.

"Tonight." The vampire responded. "As soon as possible."

* * *

In the warehouse, Drusilla confronted Dalton, furious.

"You lost it? You...lost my _present_?!"

"I know." He had his eyes lowered. "I'm sorry."

"It was a bad turn, man." Spike snorted. "She can't have her fun without the box."

"The Slayer. She came out of nowhere. I didn't even see her!" Dalton exclaimed. "She..."

Drusilla cut him off by putting her finger to his lips. Staring into his eyes she lifted his glasses and dropped them to the floor, stomping on them and grinding them into the concrete. She lifted her head with her eyes closed. "Make a wish."

"What?" He gulped.

She held two fingers up to his eyes. "I'm going to blow out the candles."

"You might give him a chance to find your lost treasure." Spike interrupted. "He is a wanker, but he's the only one we've got with half a brain. If he fails, you can eat his eyes out of his sockets for all I care."

"I'll get it back." Dalton was positively sweating. "I _swear_."

Drusilla thrusted both hands at him and pulled them back at the last instant, and up into fists, smiling at him evilly. She bent down and picked up his glasses. "Okay." She unfolded them and set them back on his nose. "Hurry back then." She patted his head and then stepped over to Spike and sat on his lap.

Dalton breath a sigh of relief and left to begin his task.

* * *

On the docks, Chloe and Angel made their way to the ship. They'd said their goodbyes at the house before Jenny and Gabe had driven them and dropped them off. They were silent, solemn. Angel had the box on his shoulder, and Chloe pulled behind her the suitcase with their combined clothing. They walked arm in arm, Chloe leaning into him, and he pressed a kiss to her head. When they reached the gangplank Angel set the box down and looked around him.

"This is it." He placed an arm around her. "We're leaving."

Chloe looked around her, trying to be brave, to not think of her father, of Sam---of everyone she was leaving behind. "Yeah."

"You know, I always imagined us leaving this place together." Angel admitted to her. "Admittedly it was never under these circumstances, but still, it will be nice to have some time to ourselves."

She nodded. "I'll miss them though."

"I know you will." Angel let go of her to reach into his pocket. "I have something for you...for your birthday. I was gonna give it to you earlier but..." he showed her a ring with an intricate design.

"It's _beautiful."_ Chloe whispered, pressing her finger to the design in awe. "Angel, I _told_ you that you didn't have to---."

"I know I didn't have to." He grinned down at her. "But I _wanted_ to." He cleared his throat. "My people---before I was changed---they exchanged this as a sign of devotion. It's a claddagh ring. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents royalty....and the heart...well, you know." He smiled, ducking his gaze in embarrassment for a second. "Wear it with the heart pointing towards you. It means you belong to somebody. Like this." He showed her his own ring on his finger.

She looked at it, touched beyond words, and since her throat had dried up the only way she could think of expressing her feeling was to bring his hand to her lips and kiss the ring.

Angel smiled down at her tenderly, possessively, taking the ring from her and slipping it onto her finger.

Chloe looked at their joined hands, from her ring to his, and smiled, knowing despite all her fears, that this was the man she loved, and that leaving with him could _never_ be a mistake.

She squeezed his hand and smiled up at him. "Let's do this."

Suddenly two vampires jumped at them from some cargo netting. One pulled Chloe off of Angel and threw her back while the other began to fight with Angel. Chloe rolled to her feet, and the vampire swung at her but missed. She grabbed him and started pummeling his gut while Angel flipped the other one over onto his back. He got up and Angel swung at him three times, but he blocked all of them, yet was unable to block Angel's next punch, which landed squarely in his face. Chloe ducked a swing, lifting herself up on the dock railing and kicking her assailant in the chest with both feet, sending him staggering back into the gangplank. She gave chase and grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hair, causing him to growl.

Dalton dropped out of the cargo netting now, too, running over to the box and grabbing it, starting to run.

"Angel!" Chloe cried out as she saw it. "The box!"

Angel ducked a roundhouse kick, grabbed the vampire's arm, and flipped him over onto his back. He raced after Dalton and tackled him onto the deck.

Chloe's attacker shook free of her and shoved her into a stack of crate. He followed up with a roundhouse kick but she ducked it and he just hit the crates. She made a grab for him, but he punched her in the face.

Angel got ready to punch Dalton but got distracted when the vampire he had been fighting before grabbed the box and made a run for it.

Chloe's opponent grabbed her by her shirt and roared as he swung her around, over the railing and into the water.

Angel saw her go flying. "Chloe!" He let go of Dalton and jumped over the railing and into the water after her.

* * *

In the library, Giles was researching the Judge. Despite the late hour, he had Buffy and Sam with him, Dean off to walk Cordelia to the parking lot safely. The librarian found himself unable to stop looking up at the clock every couple of minutes, feeling guilty that such a heavy burden had been placed on such young shoulders.

"They should have left port by now." He sighed.

"I can't believe he'd be so selfish." Sam spoke, soft and tense. "Why did _she_ have to go with him? I understand him going, and I understand that the Hellmouth bothers her, but she needs to be here to build up a resistance to it! She was doing so well!"

"She nearly died." Buffy reminded him.

"Exactly!" Sam snapped his book shut. "She _should've_ died, and yet she didn't! And not only that, but she managed to channel only the amount that I could handle. Which means that she's acquiring _unspeakable_ skill when it comes to tapping into and controlling the Hellmouth energy. And now, when she comes back, it'll be the initial shock and she'll have to get used to everything all over again! And the shock alone could _kill_ her!"

Giles and Buffy exchanged worried looks.

The doors swung open to reveal Dean. "Guys, you're never going to believe this."

They looked up in time to see the doors swing open again behind him, showing Chloe and Angel, both soaked to the bone, Angel carrying a suitcase in his hand.

"What happened?" Giles rose to his feet immediately, as did Buffy and Sam.

"Dru's guys ambushed us." Chloe sighed. "They got the box."

"Oh god." Buffy whispered.

"Are you guys okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, we just got wet." Chloe looked at Angel. "Good thing is that we have dry clothes to change into."

Angel nodded before turning to Giles. "What do we know?"

"The more I study the Judge, the less I like him." Giles replied, sitting back down. "His touch can literally burn the humanity out of you. A true creature of evil can survive the process. No human ever has."

"What's the problem?" Dean asked. "We send Cordy to fight this guy, and we go for pizza."

Chloe had to give a little giggle at that despite the serious situation.

Buffy looked up at her Watcher. "Can this guy be stopped? Without an army?"

Giles looked down at the book in front of him. " 'No weapon forged can kill him.' Not very encouraging." He sighed. "If only we could stop them from assembling him."

"We need to find his weak spots," Sam announced. "And we need to figure out where they'd be keeping him."

"This could take time." Giles sighed.

"Better do a round robin." Dean groaned. "Chloe you go first, I think your dad will be more than glad to hear that the box got stolen."

She smiled at him and went towards the phone.

"Round robin?" Giles asked the older Winchester boy.

"It's when everybody calls everybody else's mom and tells them they're staying at everyone's house." Dean explained. "Usually Sam and I don't have to do it since dad isn't at home."

"Thus freeing us up for world saveage." Buffy finished.

After the rounds of calls to parents, and Gabe hurrying over to the library to hold his daughter close and cry with relief that she didn't have to leave, the group got to researching (minus Gabe, who had to get up early and work the next day). They researched late into the night, with Angel and Buffy going out to see if they could get any information from scum like Willy the Snitch, and patrol the grounds.

"I think I read this one already." Dean groaned over a book.

Giles watched as Sam got up and took off his jacket, putting it across Chloe's shoulders as she slept with her head resting on her arms on the table.

The Watcher watched the young man and sighed.

When Sam's gaze rested on a ring on the girl's finger his expression fell, and he looked away.

Giles' gaze lowered to Chloe's ring finger, where a claddagh ring rested, facing towards her.

Symbolizing she belonged to someone.

The Watcher looked back up at Sam, understanding his sudden misery upon seeing it.

The boy really _was_ in love with her.

The youth of today were so flimsy and wishy-washy that Sam's apparent devotion to Chloe was quite miraculous, and heartbreaking in itself.

Angel and Buffy appeared from down out of the stack.

Giles looked up, standing. "Any luck?"

Buffy came up to him and shook her head.

Angel went to Chloe and paused a second when he noticed Sam's jacket covering her, sending the boy in question a look before leaning over the sleeping girl and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Seems Chloe needed some rest." Giles announced, uneasy by the slight tension in the air.

"She's still very weak." Angel agreed.

"And yet knowing that you had no problem with taking her away from her home and friends, to a dangerous mission that her body wasn't strong enough to undergo as yet." Sam grumbled from where he sat.

Angel snarled at him.

Dean got in the middle. "Just _stop_ it you two. We have more important things to deal with right now! Like the Judge being reassembled so he can destroy us all!"

Appearing properly chastised, Sam and Angel looked away from each other.

Giles wondered when Dean had become so mature.

* * *

In Spike's warehouse, Chloe walked in, looking at the party decoration in confusion. All around her were candles on tall sticks, burning down. She went to the table and walked around it, looking at the several boxes sitting on the floor.

"Now, now."

Chloe spun around to see Drusilla on the upper level, holding Angel in front of her.

"Hands off my presents." Drusilla put a sharp blade to Angel's neck. "Hell Hell burning bright, burn the angel up tonight."

"_Angel_!" Chloe screamed...

...before jolting awake from her nightmare with a start.

"Oh my God!" She cried, hand to her chest, breathing rapidly, terrified, not noticing Angel or the others hurrying to her. "I've seen her before."

"Chloe?" Angel knelt down in front of her. "What is it, baby?"

"Angel I've _dreamt_ of her before Sunnydale!" Chloe turned to him in the seat, eyes wide, terrified. "Drusilla, I---I've dreamt of her while in _Smallville_."

"What?" Giles asked, eyes wide.

"I couldn't---I couldn't remember---why couldn't I remember?" She began to shake, bringing her hands to her mouth. "My _god_!" She brought her hands to her mouth. "I've had visions of her---and she had visions of me. We've been---we've been _seeing_ each other! And I---she _touched_ me in my vision! She---she made _Spike_ touch me! I----she---." Chloe didn't realize she was crying until she felt Angel brushing away the tears. "I dreamt she'd turned my father...I...I've never seen her face to face but I---I---."

"Chloe, I need you to calm down." Angel whispered, drawing her attention to him. "Calm down, and tell us what you're saying."

"I don't know why I didn't realize it in my last dream with her...why I knew it was her when I'd never supposed _seen_ her..." Chloe whispered. "But I _have_. I've been sharing visions with her. It's like we're crisscrossing each other's Sight or something."

Sam frowned. "You said they could touch you will you were having visions. Were you hurt?"

"No." She stammered, shaking her head. "I---she just touched me, to show me she could, and made Spike touch me, so he could feel the heartbeat of h-h-hell."

"Of _Hell_?" Buffy made a face.

"She keeps calling me Hell." Chloe nodded. "Why does she keep calling me Hell?"

"She probably senses the connection you have with the Hellmouth." Dean guessed.

"What happened in this dream?" Giles asked her.

"I was in a warehouse." Chloe whispered. "And...there were decorations, like a party was about to happen, and Drusilla had Angel, with a knife to his throat and she told me...she...she told me..."

"What did she tell you?" Angel asked.

She looked down at him, body trembling. "To burn you up."

* * *

In the warehouse, Drusilla stood at the top of the spiral staircase and clapped her hands.

"More music!" She bobbed her head to the gothic beat as she descended the steps. The party was going well as she made her way to the head of the table and began to dance there.

Spike came rolling in with a large box on his lap. "Look what I have for you, ducks."

She looked over at him and smiled as she went towards her paramour. "Ahh...The best is saved for last." She took the box from him and handed it to two vampires.

They took it over to where the other boxes had been assembled into the shape of a body, raising the box and setting the head in place.

Once in place, a bright light emanated through the cracks in the boxes.

Drusilla smiled. "Hmm."

The front of the now unified boxes opened like a pair of twin gates to allow the Judge to step out. His skin was blue, and he had small horns on his forehead.

He opened his eyes.

"He's perfect, my darling." Drusilla purred.

Spike looked up at her.

"Just what I wanted." She stepped back to him and took his hand before looking up at the Judge. "Goll..."

The Judge stepped out of his box, apparently having difficulty to keep his balance as he pointed at Drusilla. "You!"

Spike rolled over to him in Dru's defense. "Ho, ho, ho. What's that, mate?"

"You two stink of humanity." The Judge sneered. "You share affection and jealousy."

"Yeah. What of it?" Spike tapped his armor. "Do I have to remind you that we're the ones who brought you here?"

Drusilla smiled, not at all intimidated. "Would you like a party favor?" She indicated to her guests.

The Judge looked at the party guests before settling on Dalton. "This one is full of feeling. He reads. Bring him to me."

Another vampire grabbed Dalton and kept him from running away.

"What's with the bringing?" Spike made a face. "I thought you could just _zap_ people."

"My full strength will return in time." The Judge replied. "Until then...I need contact." The Judge stepped over to Dalton.

"No. No! NO!" Dalton struggled in vain.

The Judge put his hand on Dalton's chest, and he began to smoke, Drusilla watching excitedly. The Judge's hand began to burn into Dalton, who quickly combusted, disappearing in a flash of flame and smoke.

Drusilla gasped gleefully. "Do it again! Do it again!"

She smiled down at Spike, as the Judge smiled, feeling his power beginning to return.

* * *

"Angel, Buffy and I should go to the factory I saw in my vision---I can make out where it is." Chloe announced, looking at them, standing, shaky. "We'll do recon, figure out how far they've gotten assembling the Judge. You guys check any places the boxes could be coming into town through. Shipping yards, airports, anything. We need to stop them from getting all the boxes in one place."

"Yes. That is a good plan." Giles nodded.

"This thing is nasty, Giles, and it's real." She looked up at him. "We can't wait for it to come get us."

"Right." He nodded.

Buffy grabbed her bag, and she, Chloe and Angel made tracks for the door, the two best fighters followed Chloe as she felt out the vibes of the Hellmouth (refusing to connect to the Hellmouth direction like she had before and nearly killed herself), and tried to remember how she'd gotten to the place in her dreams, leading them the whole day until they reached there. The three snuck quietly into the warehouse and into the upper level, looking down at the party going on below as they walked the railing.

Chloe was getting really tired, but she refused to let it show and be a burden right now.

They saw the Judge walk into view, flanked by Spike and Drusilla.

He stopped, as if sensing something.

"What?" Spike asked. "What is it?"

The Judge looked around, and then up at Buffy, Chloe and Angel, growling.

"We gotta get outta here." Angel announced and they tried to make a run for it, but there were vampires heading them off on both sides.

"This isn't good." Buffy groaned.

* * *

Buffy struggled as they were captured, led below, but the vampires had strong grasps on them, and not even Angel seemed able to shake them off of him as they were brought before Spike, Drusilla, and the Judge.

"Well, well." Spike smirked. "Look what we have here. Crashers."

"I'm sure our invitations just got lost in the mail." Buffy snarked, refusing to let them see her fear.

"It's delicious." Drusilla licked her fingers, turning to Angel and Chloe. "I only dreamed you'd come. Rrrr."

Angel struggled against his captors. "Leave them alone!"

"Yeah, that'll work." Spike chuckled. "Now say _pretty please_."

"The girl." The Judge turned to Chloe, intrigued and disturbed. "She is not human. What is she?"

Chloe went still.

Buffy's eyes widened, turning to look at her friend.

Was this the confirmation?

Did this mean she really _was_ the Master's daughter?

"As far as I knew she was supposed to be human." Spike rolled up to her. "'Ello, luv. Have you been keeping secrets from your good friend Spike?"

"_Why_ do I feel like punching you _every single time_ I see you?" She asked him, eyes narrowed.

He smirked at her. "Always did like you, pet. So _feisty." _He sneered at Angel. "Especially in the area that _counts_."

Angel snarled, fighting his captors even stronger. "Stay _away_ from her Spike!"

"But Angelus, it is _she_ who came to _our _party." Spike goaded. "Seems _I'm_ not the one leaving his bird unsatisfied, huh?"

"Enough of this." The Judge announced, eyeing Buffy. "Bring me the girl."

"No!" Chloe screamed, beginning to struggle once more as the Judge reached for Buffy.

Angel's captors pulled him back, and he looked up and around for a way out of this. He saw the chains holding up Spike's video monitors, then he saw Buffy getting ready to defend herself.

"Don't touch him!" He reminded her.

Buffy kicked the Judge in the chest and knocked him back.

Angel shook off his captor and lunged for the chains. The Judge came to a stop beneath the monitors and Angel released them, causing them to crash to the floor on top of the Judge hard enough to knock a hole in the floor.

Buffy struggled free and decked the vampires holding Chloe, holding her hand and running to Angel, seeing the hole in the floor. "This way!"

They went to the hole and jumped down into the sewers below, running away, starting down the tunnels.

Above them they could hear Drusilla giving the order to pursue. "GO!"

Buffy, Chloe and Angel pulled a door closed behind them as their two pursuers dropped through the hole, and started after them. The vampires looked around to see where they'd gone, but didn't see anyone, so they started down the tunnel, checking the side tunnels as they went, and continuing past the door.

When they'd gone, Buffy opened the door and checked if the coast was clear.

Seeing no one she stepped over to a ladder and started up, lifting the manhole cover up and pushing it aside, quickly climbing out into the pouring rain, Chloe and Angel following right inside, closing the manhole as soon as they were out.

Buffy turned to the others, stopping when she saw the shock on Chloe's face, the way she seemed to be staring ahead of her at nothing, her whole body trembling. "_Chloe_." She whispered, hugging the girl.

She realized something that she hadn't due to the rain.

Chloe was crying.

"It can't be." Chloe whispered, hugging Buffy tightly. "Tell me he didn't---_Please_ tell me I heard him wrong!"

"It doesn't matter, Chlo." Buffy whispered. "You're still _you_, no matter _what_. We love you just as you are."

Chloe cried harder, holding Buffy tighter.

Buffy felt her eyes misting as she looked up at Angel. "Get her to someplace dry and safe. She needs to rest. I--I'll find Giles and let him know that the Judge is reassembled."

He nodded, softly taking Chloe away, picking her up as if she weighed nothing, whispering softly to her as she curled into him and he left.

Buffy watched them go, and wiped at a tear.

* * *

Kicking the door to his apartment closed behind him, Angel reached blindly and turned on the light, still holding a shivering Chloe in his arms. He walked to the bathroom and sat her down carefully on the toilet, reaching over her to turn on the water in his bathtub, putting warm water to fill it up, and adding the lavender oil to the water that he knew Chloe loved to add whenever she needed relaxing. The vampire left the large tub to fill as he turned to Chloe, who just stared into the distance, shivering, tears falling silently down her cheek.

"You're shaking like a leaf." He whispered, bending down in front of her and slowly unbuttoning her shirt, taking off the rest of her freezing, soaked clothes so that she was sitting in just her cold skin.

She didn't answer, just sat there looking at her feet unseeingly.

He reached over and stopped the water before it could overflow, before sighing and undoing his own clothes, letting them fall in a soggy heap next to hers. "C'mon baby. Let's warm you up." He pulled her to her feet and guided them both into the tub, lowering into the warmed, sweet-smelling water, sitting down with his back against the backrest and her back against his chest. His arms curled around her as she turned in them to get closer to him, curling up like a child seeking comfort.

"What am I?" She whispered, voice broken. "Angel... What _am_ I?"

"You're my only reason for living." He responded softly into her hair.

She was still before turning even more towards him and pressing closer.

* * *

Giles looked up as a soaking wet Buffy entered the library, face solemn.

It was a scary sight.

"What happened?" Dean slid off of the table. "Where's Angel and Chloe?"

"The Judge is fully assembled and kicking." Buffy answered the first question, before sighing. "He said Chloe isn't human. She's in shock and Angel took her somewhere safe."

Sam sat down in shock.

"Oh, damn it." Giles whispered, removing his glasses.

"He nearly killed us. Angel got us out." Buffy came further into the room. She closed her eyes for a second before taking in a deep breath. "Chloe was in shock...crying...she looked so _scared_."

"It can be imagined." Giles motioned for Buffy to take the seat next to him. "She---she's been obviously in denial about the situation, hoping that it wasn't true, only to have a creature who senses and hates humanity to tell her she isn't a part of it."

"I---I hadn't thought of it that way." Buffy whispered, collapsing into the seat. "That makes it so much _worse._"

"What can you tell us about the Judge?" Giles turned to her, glad to see that she was alive and well, if not depressed for her friend's sake. "As much as Chloe's situation is grave, this is much graver. Is there anything useful you discovered during your encounter with him?"

"Not much. I, um, I kicked him. It was just like a sudden fever. If he'd gotten his hands on me..."

"In time, he won't need to touch you." Sam supplied softly. "The stronger he gets, he'll be able to reduce us to charcoal without a look."

"What does he look like?" Dean wanted to know.

"Not the prettiest man in town." Was her only description.

Giles sighed. "I better continue researching, must look for a weak spot. The rest of you go and get some rest. You've gone beyond the call of duty tonight. I'm proud of you all."

"I wish we could do more." Buffy whispered as the brothers got up slowly from the table.

Giles nodded his agreement and hesitated only a second before reaching forwards and placing his hand on hers.

She looked up at him in surprise before a beautiful, soft smile touched her lips and she squeezed his hand softly.

* * *

"Today's been stressful." Chloe finally spoke, curled up in Angel's bed, under the covers, in one of his shirts, facing him in the dark.

"Yeah." Angel whispered, forehead pressing against hers. "And to think we could have gotten out of here."

"And never heard that." She agreed, bringing her hands up to his hair, digging her fingers in the dark silk.

Angel moved his head slightly and brought his hand to her face, raising it so that he could bring his lips to hers in a slow, tender kiss that made her toes curl.

Chloe whimpered, moving closer to him, tightening her grip on his hair and opening her mouth to his lips and tongue.

After a moment Angel broke it off. "Whatever you are...that doesn't change what I feel about you. It never could. _Nothing_ ever could."

She closed her eyes to those words, smiling softly. "Even if I'm your necrophiliac aunt?"

He paused for a second before laughing softly. "Hey, I'm kinky, that would probably be a turn on for me."

She laughed softly, pulling him in closer as her lips found his and they were kissing, desperate, trying to find comfort in actions. Chloe whimpered in pleasure as she found herself beneath him, her hands trapped up against the headboard above her head by one of his hands, the other hand cupping her jaw tenderly in quite a contrast as he consumed her with his kiss.

"_Angel_..." She begged, needing him more than ever before.

He let go of her hands and moved so that he was crouched over her, giving her space between them to wrestle with his pajama bottoms, his chest already bare for her pleasure.

Chloe, dressed only in one of his large shirts, pushed the pajama bottom down passed his hips right before Angel attacked her once more, pressing her down into the mattress and pressing up against her as he lay between her thighs.

This wasn't going to be lovemaking.

This was going to fucking.

This was going to be desperate, needy, urgent fucking.

Angel tore his lips from hers, aligning himself better, looking her in her eyes as his face shifted into that of his demon.

Chloe whimpered in need.

At least she knew _now_ why something that would terrify or disgust any normal person made her wet and needy.

"_Angel_..."

He smirked at her before with one harsh push he was in her completely to the hilt, and he leaned in, sinking his fangs deep into her neck, snarling into her skin as her blood raced up to his mouth.

Vaguely Chloe remembered that there was a reason why he shouldn't be drinking her blood, but as Angel began to move she lost the ability to think...only able to cry out his name.

* * *

Outside, lightening struck against the sky, and Angel awoke with a start, gasping for air as he sat up. He felt sick, horrible, like he'd caught the worst flu he'd ever experienced, and his heart was burning, his throat on fire, he felt so dizzy...so _wrong_.

Grabbing at his chest he got up from the bed and hurried out of bed, out of the apartment, not caring that he was only wearing his pajama pants. He just needed to get out of there, needed cold night air.

Hurrying outside to the alley behind his apartment, Angel crashed through the door out into the rain. He stumbled over some trash cans and fell to the pavement, crying out in pain and fear.

* * *

**You All Know You Wanna Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Supernatural.

* * *

In Spike's warehouse, the Judge knelt in a corner facing a bunch of storage racks.

Spike wheeled up and stopped about twenty feet from him. Pushing himself a few feet closer he turned around. "I'm not happy, pet. Angel and the Slayer are still alive. They know where we are, they know about the Judge. We should be vacating."

Drusilla walked up to him. "Puddlewaddle." She took his hand. "The stars have shown them how the Judge will stretch forth his hand and make them all shiny and bright."

Spike snorted and glanced over his shoulder. "What's Big Blue up to, anyway? He just _sits_ there."

"I am preparing." The Judge announced, obviously having listened to their conversation.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Yeah." He turned and wheeled over to him. "It's interesting to me that 'preparing' looks a great bit like sitting on your ass." He faced him. "When do we destroy the world already?"

"My strength grows, and with every life I take it will increase further."

"So lets take some." Spike pouted. "I'm bored."

Drusilla started moaning.

Spike looked back at her. "Dru?"

She suddenly collapsed to the floor and began to cry. "_Angel..._"

"Dru?" Spike turned and rolled towards her. "What is it?" He stopped by her. "Dru!"

She whimpered.

"Darling....do you see something?" Spike asked.

Her crying gave way to cruel, evil laughter.

* * *

Outside the alley the rain began to let up, Angel fell to the pavement and propped himself up on his hands.

"_Chloe_..." He couldn't hold himself up and collapsed to the ground. "Oh, no_."_

A hooker standing in a doorway saw him and slowly walked over to him. "Hey. You okay?" She bent down to look at him. "You want me to call 911?"

Angel suddenly stood up. "No. The pain is gone."

"You sure?" She asked, standing as well.

"Yeah." He spun around, game face on, and grabbed her, violently biting her on the neck, not because he needed to feed, but because it'd been so _long_ since he'd been able to have a kill.

Dropping her dead body, he tilted his head up and blew out the smoke he'd just inhaled through her neck from her lungs.

Angelus smirked. "I feel just _fine_."

* * *

Drusilla was laid out on her back on a big table, looking up at the ceiling blissfully.

Spike wheeled himself around to her. "Are we feeling better then?" He smiled, leaning on the table.

"I'm naming all the stars." Drusilla sighed.

"You can't see the stars, love." Spike tried to tell her. "That's the ceiling. Also, it's day."

"I can see them. But I've named them all the same name." She tilted her head towards him. "And there's _terrible_ confusion."

"Did you see any further?" Spike asked her, curious. "Do you know what happens to Angel?"

"Well," Angel announced, appearing at a side door and clearing his throat. "He moves to New York and tries to fulfill that Broadway dream. It's tough sledding, but one day he's working in the chorus when the big star twists her ankle."

Spike glared at him. "You don't give up, do you?"

Angel slowly came over. "As long as there's injustice in the world, as long as scum like you is walking..." he noticed the wheelchair. "Well, _rolling_ the streets...I'll be around." He stopped a few feet away. "Look over your shoulder. I'll be there."

"Uh, yeah." Spike nodded, nonplussed. "Angel, um...look over _your_ shoulder."

Angel turned around and the Judge placed his hand on his chest.

Spike sneered. "Hurts, doesn't it?"

Angel looked back at him. "Well, you know, it kinda itches a little."

Spike frowned, turning to the Judge. "Don't just _stand_ there. _Burn_ him already!"

"Gee." Angel chuckled. "Maybe he's broken."

Spike turned to Drusilla. "What the hell is going on?"

Her face took on a look of realization.

"This one..." The Judge removed his hand. "Cannot be burnt. He is clean."

"Clean?" Spike's eyes widened. "You mean, he's..."

"There's no humanity in him." The Judge turned and walked away, looking a little disappointed.

_Angelus_ faced Spike. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"Angelus." Dru whispered, sitting up.

"Yeah, baby." He smirked. "I'm back.

"Is...is it really true?" Spike whispered, unable to believe it.

"It's really true." Angelus laughed and walked around the table.

Drusilla followed him with her eyes. "You've come home."

"No more of this 'I've got a soul' crap?" Spike followed him in the wheelchair.

"What can I say, hmm?" He struck a match on the table. "I was going through a phase." He lit a cigarette.

"This is great!" Spike grinned broadly, finally letting himself believe it. "This is _so_ great!"

Dru walked on the table, waving her arms. "Everything in my head is singing!"

Angelus laughed.

"We're a family again." Drusilla turned to Angelus and giggled as he helped her off of the table. "Hell burnt the icky soul out of you, just like I asked her to!" Dru then pouted, looking around. "Where is she hiding?" She looked inside one of Angel's pockets.

Spike and Angelus exchanged confused looks.

"Luv?" Spike tried. "What are you---?"

Drusilla looked under the table. "Here Hell. Hell. Hell. Hell."

"What do you mean _Hell_ burnt the soul out of Angelus?" Spike followed her with the wheelchair as she began to look beneath a chair. "You're talking about _Chloe_. Right? Why would she---? _How_ could she----?"

Drusilla turned to him, looking disappointed. "She is the choice of Angelus, the one to take grandmother's place. Only _she_ could take the icky soul and burn it out from within. I _told_ you as the stars danced above that the awakening was happening, that she would burn away the icky wrongness."

Spike's eyes widened as he suddenly remember that night, and the ritual Dru had performed using his blood. "What did you do that night?"

"What night?" Angelus frowned, confused.

Drusilla smiled. "I asked the stars to help the sulphur and magic and darkness to churn into black medicine to corrupt."

"Her blood." Spike whispered, understanding, a smile erupting on her face. "You used my blood to poison _her_ blood and call to the darkness in the one who drank it!" He turned to Angelus. "Even with a soul you were _feeding_ from her? You naughty, _naughty_ boy."

Angelus paused, eyes wide. "The infusion of the pure Hellmouth energy in her blood must have beena bolt of mega strength to the dark qualities you had already placed there. So when I fed..."

"Pure Hellmouth energy?" Spike blinked, obviously confused. "What the bleedin' hell are you talking about?"

Drusilla giggled, twirling around. "You'll feed. Grrr." She turned to Spike. "And you'll grow strong again."

"Her blood." Spike understood once again, taking his curious gaze off of Angelus and placing it on his Dark Princess. "I don't think she will give it to me of her own free will, pet. And you done told me that anyone who drinks it without her consent will die."

Angelus looked between them, obviously shocked by this announcement. "My lass can do that?"

"She will...come to turns." Drusilla danced her fingers through the air. "The dungeon is very uncomfortable, and she loves that tall one in a special way."

Angelus snarled. "_Sam_."

Dru nodded. "He can be our guest. I'll give him baguettes with maggots...and she will heal my Dark Knight. And be our _family_."

Angelus turned and began to walk away.

"Oy!" Spike called after him. "Where the bloody hell are you going?"

Angelus didn't even bother turning around. "To get my woman."

* * *

Chloe gave a sigh of happiness as she felt lips against her shoulder, against the tattoo forever decorated with Angelus' fangmarks. "Let me sleep a little longer, you horn dog."

There was a dark chuckle. "Don't wanna. Every time I see you sleeping, so vulnerable, I want to violate you. To tear into you and make you wake up screaming my name as you cum."

She turned towards him, smiling sleepily. "What awful, dirty tactics, trying to verbally seduce me when I'm too sleepy to mount a proper defense." Those green orbs opened and she yawned, smiling at him. "Hey."

"Hey." Angel looked down at her as if she were the most curious thing ever. "How have you made yourself my greatest obsession?"

She stretched, giving him a little smirk. "It's a natural gift. No effort needed."

He moved so that he was straddling her. "The only time I was ever free...was when I was buried inside of you...feeling you warm and wet and clutching me so _tightly_."

She laid on her back, looking up at him through her eyelashes. "I don't know what I owe this morning speech to..." her hands went to his thighs, rubbing them with a grin. "But I'm liking it."

He laughed darkly, leaning down and capturing her lips in a savage kiss, face morphing into that of his demon.

She didn't know which one of them was bleeding, but she tasted metallic...and yet didn't pull away, only kissed him harder. "_Angel_..."

He pulled away, smirking. "_Wrong_."

For a second she was confused, but then suddenly her eyes widened in horrified realization.

She opened her mouth to scream, but before any sound could come out he'd backhanded her, and everything went dark.

* * *

"I have a plan." Dean announced, leaning forwards in the library early the next morning. "I was up thinking last night, and I think I may have a way to deal with this Judge guy."

"What do we do?" Cordelia asked, dressed in her best, looking right off of a runway.

"I'll need you." Dean told her. "And, we will need wheels."

"Well, my car is..." Cordelia began.

"It might have to be bigger." Dean shook his head.

Cordelia frowned. "That's no problem. We have an old van in the garage, to remind dad of his days as a hippie. We can use that."

"Good." Dean nodded.

Giles frowned. "What exactly _is_ the plan?"

"And where's Sam?" Buffy wanted to know.

"I left him home sleeping. He didn't get any sleep at all last night." Dean replied before looking this all over. "Everyone meet me at Cordelia's home in half an hour." He turned to Cordelia. "And wear something trashy."

She blinked.

* * *

Groaning, Chloe woke up, feeling disoriented and dizzy.

Opening her eyes, Chloe frowned for two very different reasons.

One was because she couldn't recognize the bare room she was in, lying upon a mattress.

Two was because her left arm was handcuffed to some pipes.

_What_...?

And then she remembered, heart racing in terror as she scrambled up, sitting.

Somehow...somehow Angelus was back in control of Angel's body.

But _how_?

_Why_?

And why wasn't she _dead_?

"Fear is an _art_, when featured on your face."

Chloe gasped and turned towards the voice with a hint of an Irish brogue, seeing Angelus sitting in the darkest corner, not looking up at her, instead drawing on a notepad.

He finally looked up, turning the pad around to show a picture of her as she slept. "What do you think, Lass? Did I capture the utter vulnerability on your face as you slept?"

"What do you want?" She narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to play into his games. "What happened to Angel?"

"Angel's _gone_. Like he always _should_ have been." Angelus stood, towering over her as he came towards her before bending on his knees. "You've got _me _now, baby."

"No thank you." She glared at him. "I prefer the _soul_."

He snarled, hand reaching out rapidly and grabbing her chin fiercely. "You're _mine._ The soul was only ever an illusion. From the moment I died _this_ is who I _truly_ am. _This_ is who you belong to."

"I don't belong to you." She whimpered when he tightened his grip on her punishingly.

"You belong to _me_." Angelus snarled at her. "And you're going to be a nice, pleasant, obedient little girl for daddy."

"Me? Obedient?" She snorted. "You'd better kill me before you get disappointed."

"I would if I could." He glared in her face, _furious_. "But I can't---I can't _abide_ the _thought_ of you not being near me."

She went still, shocked. "_Angel_?"

His eyes went gold as his face shifted, and he backhanded her roughly, causing her face to swing. "_Never_ say that name _ever_ again!"

Chloe whimpered, head drooping, closing her eyes, stunned from the blow.

She jumped in fear when she felt his face near hers, but instead of hurting her further his tongue darted out to lick away the blood trailing down the side of her lip...almost _tenderly_.

"Be a good little girl for daddy." Angelus whispered against the side of her lips. "I have a little _present_ I want to show you. Behave. You will be _surprised_."

She watched warily as he undid the clasp of the handcuff around the pipes, holding onto it tightly and cuffing her other one as well, smirking at her as he offered her his hand.

The blonde placed her hands in his warily, giving a little gasp of shock when he stood rapidly and pulled her up with him, picking her up bridal style and stalking out of the room.

She caught a glimpse of Dru, and of Spike...in a _wheelchair?_

But Angelus didn't give her time to absorb the vampires around her or her scenery, instead taking her to the cellar of the warehouse...to a cage in the cellar.

Chloe's eyes widened in horror when she saw who lay there, beaten and bloody. "_Sam_?"

He looked up at the sound of his name. "Chloe!"

"Let _go_ of me!" Chloe slapped at Angel, nearly falling as she threw herself out of his arms, going to the bars of the cage. "Sam! What did they _do_ to you?"

"I---Angel called me---said that you were in danger and he needed me to meet him. I was ambushed." Sam glared at the smirking vampire behind her before returning his attention to Chloe, noticing the handcuffs on her hands. "Chloe. What's going on? Why is Angel---?"

"That's not Angel." Chloe whispered, closing her eyes tightly, her hands going over his on the bars. "Sam, I don't know what happened. But that's _Angelus_."

Sam's eyes widened in horror.

"I see my fame precedes me." Angelus smirked, coming up behind Chloe and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her back into him. "See now why you must be a good little obedient girl for daddy?"

Chloe closed her eyes in revulsion before nodding.

"As long as you're a good little girl and don't give me any reason to punish him, he'll live." Angelus promised. "But if you anger me in any way, you'll be strapped to a chair and made to watch as I make him _scream and beg for death_."

Her whole body began to shake.

"Chloe, don't listen to him!" Sam shook the bars to get her attention, nearly desperate. "Get out of here! Save yourself!"

She opened her eyes, filled with tears, shaking her head at him.

"_Chloe_..." Sam pleaded, eyes filling with tears as well. "_Please_."

"_I can't_..." She whispered, a stray tear making its way down her cheek before she turned into Angelus' hold, looking up into his face. "Promise me no one touches him, that he's properly fed and cared for, and I'll swear to behave."

Angelus smirked down at her, reaching down to raise her chin. "That's my girl."

"Chloe don't do it!" Sam snarled from behind her.

She ignored him, glaring at Angelus. "Swear to me on your demonhood. _Swear_ it to me!"

"I swear it to you, on all the evilness in my heart." Angelus chuckled. "No harm will come to your new pet, as long as you _behave_. If you don't. I'll have fun with him."

"I'll behave." She shook her head. "You won't have to---I'll behave---I _swear_ I'll behave."

"_Chloe_..." Sam whispered behind her, broken.

Just like her heart.

* * *

At an Army base outside Sunnydale, a group of soldiers stood at attention.

"Right face, hu!" The Sergeant called. "Double-time, hu!" They began to march off. "Left, left, left, left..."

Behind the barbed wire fence, Mr. Chase's hippie van pulled up, the side door opening to reveal Dean and Cordelia.

The former turned to Giles and Buffy, who were sitting in the front seats. "Wait here. When you guys see that window open get out the ladder, come up, and we'll pass you the package, okay?"

"Understood." Giles nodded.

"I still don't understand why I'm not going with you." Buffy turned in her seat, frowning. "You'll need backup if something goes south."

"Believe me, you're pretty Buffy, but it takes a certain something to be able to pull this off convincingly." He replied, before giving Cordelia a once over with a leer. "And when they see _that_ they won't give me any problem."

"_That_?" Cordelia glared at him. "Since when did I become a _thing_?"

"Come on darlin'." Dean chuckled, exiting through the side door as she followed him out.

"I'm not your _darlin'_!" Cordelia hissed, stomping after him in the highest heels she owned.

"Keep trying to tell yourself that." He didn't look behind at her. "One day one of us might believe it. But I doubt that day will come."

She paused for a second before hurrying after him, shocked.

They made their way to the fence and Dean began to cut the links, pushing the fence aside and squeezing through, holding it open for Cordelia as she slipped through after him.

"The security here really is a joke." Dean turned to her as they began walking towards her destination. "I should report it."

"Who am _I _supposed to be again?" Cordelia wanted to know, refusing to look at him.

"You're supposed to be a girl." He replied, amused. "Think you can handle it?"

She slapped him on the arm, fighting a grin.

They snuck along the side of the building and looked out from behind some crates. The coast looked clear, so they continued past a truck. A group of soldiers could be heard quickly marching by. Dean peeked out from behind the truck and the way still looked clear. He stepped over to the door and was about to reach for the knob when they were discovered by a soldier on guard duty.

"Halt!" The soldier called as Dean shot his arms up. "Identify yourself right the hell now."

"Private Winchester with the, uh, 33rd." Dean responded.

"33rd are on maneuvers." The soldier snapped back.

"Obviously." Dean slowly turned towards him, looking annoyed. "I'm on leave, from them."

"You always spend your leave snooping around the armory, pal?" The soldier glared. "And who is _she_?"

"Hi." Cordelia gave him a flirtatious smile.

The soldier hesitated on her for a second, clearly getting a good look at the gorgeous girl for the first time, before clearing his throat and returning his attention to Dean.

"Look, I...I just wanted to give her the tour." Dean still kept his hands up, but he was smiling a smug smile. "You know what I'm saying."

The soldier raised an eyebrow. "The tour."

"You know the ladies." Dean chuckled, completely confident in his persona. "They like to see the big guns. Gets them all hot and bothered. Can you cut me some slack, gimme a blind eye?"

"And why should I?"

"Well, if you do, I won't tell Colonel Newsome that your boots ain't regulation, your post wasn't covered," and suddenly his hands shot out and grabbed the soldier's M-16, before giving it back to him properly. "And you hold your gun like a _sissy _girl."

The soldier took the rifle, obviously embarrassed. "You got 20 minutes, nimrod."

Dean smirked. "More like 25. You shouldn't rush these kinda things if you know what I mean." He placed his arm around Cordelia and started for the door, completely smug and at ease.

Inside, the door closed behind them, Cordelia shook loose of his arm and turned to him. "Okay. What was _that_? And who are you?"

He chuckled, amused by her reaction. "Remember Halloween, when I got turned into a soldier?"

"Yeah." She nodded slowly.

"Well, I still remember all of it." Dean admitted to the first person ever. "I know procedure, ordnance, access codes, everything. I know the whole layout for this base, and I'm pretty sure I can put together an M-16 in 57 seconds."

She tilted her head slightly as she looked at him. "Well, I'm sort of impressed. But let's just find the thing and get out of here."

He grinned at her. "How impressed are we talking about?"

"You, look, me, look pretty." She hopped onto a crate to sit as he shook his head at her with a smile and began looking around. "So, does looking at guns _really_ make girls wanna have sex?" She made a face. "That's scary."

"Yeah, I guess." He shrugged, deep in his search.

"Does looking at guns make _you_ wanna have sex?"

He paused for a second and looked at her. "You offering?"

"Don't make me throw something at you." Cordelia blushed darkly as she glared at him. "Because the things in this room are heavy and so not only might I break government property, but more importantly, I might break a _nail_."

"Cordy," He smiled happily at her. "Don't ever change."

She froze, the blush darkening. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

But Dean never answered, eyes widening as he noticed something stored behind her. "_Bingo!_"

* * *

Spike watched as Angelus came down the metal spiral staircase leading to the room he had his lover in. It was interesting, really. Angelus was taking that girl's word at face value, leaving her unshackled in the room, _the unlocked room_, and hadn't even ordered anyone keep an eye on it. He _had_ snarled at the minions and told them that if any of them touched her or his little bargaining chip in the cellar he'd play with their inside while they were still undead. The minions, who were terrified of Angelus, refused to go _near_ that spiral staircase, and two were only left stationed by the door leading to the cellar, yet refused to go inside.

The Judge slowly went to Spike, dragging his attention from Angelus. "I am ready."

"About time." Spike snorted.

Dru sat on his lap and kissed him.

The Judge walked off in disgust.

"Have fun." Spike called after him.

Angelus arrived by his side, bending to Spike's ear. "Too bad you can't come with, huh?" He asked mockingly. "I'll be thinkin' of you."

"I won't be in this chair forever." Spike glared at him.

Angelus took Drusilla's hand and they started out after the Judge.

"What if your girlfriend doesn't want to play nice while you're gone?" Spike called after them.

"Now, since _when_ have _you_ ever had problems getting along with her?" Angelus called over his shoulder before looking the Judge up and down. "Don't _you_ look spiffy!"

"Spiffy?" The Judge made a face, confused.

Drusilla smiled up at him as they left.

Spike made a face as he looked up at the separate ramp leading up towards the room, smirking as he rolled himself up on it with little difficulty, waiting outside of the door for a second as he heard the sounds of desperate sobs coming from within. He hesitated, not sure if he wanted to see her crying. This girl had always been strong like anything he'd ever seen, and he didn't know how he'd react to seeing her so _human_.

Taking in a deep breath he knocked on the door, giving her time to get herself together. "I'm comin' in, pet."

There was a rustle of noise inside. "O-okay."

She sounded more in control of herself.

Spike turned the handle and pushed the door, wheeling himself inside, looking around the room with curiosity before his gaze fell on the blonde, who was standing in the middle of it, trying to look brave and strong, although he could tell from the slight shake of her shoulders and the red blotches on her face, that she was just barely holding on.

He frowned when he noticed a small bruise forming on the side of her face. "He hit you?"

"Don't you hit Dru?" She raised her chin.

He grinned brightly, realizing that despite it all, she really _was_ strong. He liked that. "Only when she asks me to."

She blinked in surprise, losing some of the tension that'd made him uncomfortable, before clearing her throat and looking at him. "You really _are_ in a wheelchair. I---I had thought I might of imagined it, and even after Angelus told me what I had to do---I still couldn't believe it."

Spike frowned, looking away. "Yeah. Bloody church organ and roof beams."

"I---I had to use a wheelchair, once." She admitted. "It was only for a couple of days while my foot healed, but I found it annoying. Having known the ability to go any and everywhere and then having that freedom taken away from me, having people treat me different because of it. I wanted to leave _them_ in a wheelchair."

"Rightly said, luv." Spike nodded. "So you'll have compassion on your uncle Spike and come sit down on his lap without giving him any trouble. Aren't cha?"

Chloe nodded. "Right after he does something for me."

"You don't get the fact that you're a prisoner here, do you?" He chuckled.

"Yes, I do, actually. It's painfully obvious despite the lack of shackles." She cleared her throat. "But I want to see Sam. I want clean clothes and bandages and some hot water to clean him up. If someone doesn't tend to his wound he'll get infected and die and if he dies I will _not_ be a good little girl."

Spike shook his head at her. "I'm not a fool, pet."

"Handcuff me to your wheelchair, or to other vampires." She pleaded, taking a step towards him. "I already swore I won't try to escape, but _please_. I _need_ to do this. Do anything you feel necessary to make yourself feel sure that I won't go. But please. Let me do this." She took in a deep breath before going to kneel in front of his wheelchair, looking up at him pathetically. "_Please_ Spike. I'm begging you."

The vampire had to admit that he'd been having a slight complex since his injury, and her prostrating herself to him did something to his bruised ego. "Fine."

"Thank you." Her voice quivered as she stood and followed him out of the room.

Spike ordered nearby minions to get the things she'd requested and followed her to the minions who were guarding the entrance to the cellar. "Keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't do anything funny."

They nodded, and followed her down below, the other vampires going down with the things she'd needed as they found them.

From the top of the stairs, Spike gazed down inside, watching Chloe as she hurried to the cage, rushing inside to the shackled human when the cage was opened for her. The vampires placed all the things she'd asked for on the floor before hurrying out, locking her inside. He watched as she held the human and he held her tightly, despite his wince of pain.

"_I'm so sorry_." She whispered, pulling away and tenderly brushing his hair out of his face.

The blonde cleaned the human's every injury, wiping away the dried and caped blood with the warmed water, bandaging his injuries after she'd finished cleaning them.

"_Chloe, you have to escape_." He whispered to her as he put on his new, clean clothes, hands on her shoulders.

"_No, Sam." _She shook her head, reaching up to cup his bruised cheek. "_If I left they'd kill you_."

"_I don't care."_ Sam whispered to her. "_You can't stay there with that monster_."

Spike watched them with curiosity.

What was _this_?

"_You're only here because of __**me**_**.**_" _She told him. "_Because he knew that this was the only way to get me to behave."_ She paused. "_Because he knew I wouldn't let anything ever happen to you_."

"_Chloe_..."

"_I wont leave you, and I wont do anything to give him an excuse to hurt you._" Chloe promised. "_I'll get you out of here."_

"_Us_." Sam corrected.

"_I can't leave_." Chloe surprised both Spike and Sam by saying. "_In the room he---he told me that this was my fault. That----that it was my __**blood**__ that got rid of his soul_."

Sam went silent.

"_I can't let him loose on the world, and then leave him to do what he wants to unchecked._"

"_Chloe, you can't do anything to stop him_." Sam reached for her. "_This isn't your fault_."

She leaned forwards and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "_I'll get you out_." And with that she stood, picking up the things and taking them out with her, as the vampires opened the cage for her and locked it behind her.

A couple of minions came forwards and took the things for her, freeing her to go to Spike.

She looked back at Sam once before sighing and turning back to Spike as she walked up towards him. "Where should we do this?"

He smirked. "Follow me."

* * *

In the safety of Giles' office, Dean and the Watcher lifted a long crate onto his desk. Dean had been trying to call his brother all day but the phone was off, so obviously Sam had been taking his refresher's rest at home seriously, which was a little odd considering the circumstances, but then again Sam _had_ been the one researching most with Giles, not resting when the others had fallen asleep.

He deserved this rest.

"We need to figure out where they'd go." Buffy turned to Giles. "If we go to the factory they probably won't be there, will have moved. They're on the offensive."

Giles lifted the crowbar and broke the clasp. "Agreed." He opened the box.

Buffy looked inside. "This is good."

"And _heavy_." Cordelia complained.

Everyone ignored her.

Dean turned to Buffy. "Do you want me to show you how to use it?"

"Yes. " She nodded. "I do."

"Still, we need to figure out where they will be going." Giles announced.

Buffy exhaled. "I don't know...uh...somewhere crowded, I guess. I mean, the Judge needs bodies, right?"

"The Bronze?" Cordelia asked.

"It's closed tonight." Dean shook his head.

"There's not a lot of choices in Sunnydale." Cordelia leaned against the table. "It's not like people are gonna line up to get massacred."

"Uh, guys?" Buffy blinked. "If I were gonna line up, I know where I'd go."

* * *

Chloe looked around her, hugging herself as she looked at the room, and at Spike, as he lifted himself onto the bed. "So, this is where you and Drusilla are staying."

He nodded, laying on his back, propped up on his elbows, watching her. "We'll be moving soon. Apparently such a place like this isn't good enough for Angelus."

The blonde hesitated by the door.

"C'mere pet." Spike called.

She took in a deep breath before walking towards the bed, hesitating another second before climbing onto it and straddling his prone body, looking down at him in slight nervousness. "Didn't think we'd be in this position again."

He chuckled, smirking up at her. "Thankfully for me, 'Gelus wants me good and whole as soon as possible so I can be up to par."

"I think---I think I understand now why he didn't try to kill you---Angel I mean---when he found out." Chloe trembled slightly above him despite the fact that they weren't going to be doing anything but feeding. "For the longest time I was shocked at how he took it, but then I--I remembered something Drusilla told me when she wanted to sire me."

"What did the old broad say?" Spike asked, curiosity in his voice as he moved one hand to her thigh, caressing it instinctively.

"That vampire families _shared_."

He chuckled. "We mightn't like it, but we do."

"So, if it had been any other vampire..."

"Soul or not, Angelus would have ripped him to pieces." Spike nodded.

She closed her eyes, surprised at the relief she felt at that.

So it hadn't been that Angel just hadn't cared enough, it was just that his demon, the trigger of his darkside, was used to the concept of sharing...with Spike.

"Okay." She leaned into Spike, tilting her head to the side, and pulling her hair away, baring her neck to his face. "Just do it."

There was a purring kinda growl and then Spike's fangs were deep in her throat, and Chloe's arms went around him, closing her eyes tight.

* * *

At the Sunnydale Mall, the doors opened on the upper level and Angelus and Drusilla walked in flanked by their troops, closing the doors behind them. A man who was about to exit came up to them, and the Judge reached out with his hand, an arc of energy emanating from it to the man. The man froze, a look of surprise on his face, before he suddenly began to combust, disappearing in a puff of flame and smoke.

"Lock the exit, boys." Angelus ordered.

The minions hurried out to do Angelus' bidding.

Angelus turned to the Judge. "It's all yours."

The Judge smiled as he walked towards the crowds.

A customer squeezed passed Angelus and headed towards the blocked doors, and a young couple came up to the right.

The Judge extended his arms, and his energy arced out to and through them before arching through everyone in the area, all freezing where they stood.

The Judge smiled widely.

Angelus and Dru grinned, enjoying the show.

Drusilla bounced with glee. "Oh, goody!"

Suddenly a crossbow hit the Judge in the chest and broke his concentration, causing the arcs of energy to disappear, leaving the people dazed and confused.

The Judge grabbed at the bolt and pulled it from his chest. "Who _dares_?"

Angelus and Drusilla looked over at the refreshment stand. Below, on the open next level their gaze panned from the floor, pasted Dean, Cordelia, Giles, past the opening crate up to Buffy standing on top, holding the crossbow.

She, along with the others, looked up at Angelus in horror. "_Angel_?

He sneered down at them, reveling in the shock and disbelief coming from them.

Soon they'd see him and _fear_.

"You fool." The Judge sneered, drawing their attention back to him. "No weapon forged can stop me!"

Buffy lowered her bow and Dean passed her a weapon from the box.

It was an anti-tank launcher.

She raised it to her shoulder and powered it on. "That was _then_."

Angelus and Drusilla exchanged a look.

Buffy set her sight and opened the trigger guard while the rest of her team took cover behind the snack counter.

Angelus and Drusilla began to run.

Buffy took aim.

Angelus and Drusilla leaped over the stair railing as Buffy readied herself.

"What's that do?" The Judge asked, curiously.

Buffy pulled the trigger, and the rocket flew straight into the Judge's chest as Angelus and Drusilla flew over the railing. The large blue monster disappeared in an explosion of flame and smoke as the people in the mall because to scream and panic, running around terrified.

Angelus and Drusilla hit the floor below, bits of charred Judge raining down all around them

He snarled at them as he got up and ran off, Drusilla freaking out and running in the opposite direction.

* * *

Unable to savor the victory, Buffy rushed out passed the screaming crowds, hurrying in the direction she'd seen _Angel_ disappear to. Her heart was sick with worry as she followed after, trying to understand what he was---what he'd been doing. He---he hadn't been _fighting_ the Judge and Drusilla, he'd been standing next to them as if he'd been _with_ them. And then, and then he'd sneered at the Scooby Gang with such _hate _and _revulsion_.

It didn't make any sense.

Angel was on _their_ side!

Suddenly she felt something slam into her from behind, and she fell over backward, looking up in shock to see Angel there. "What are you _doing_?" She snapped, hurrying to her feet.

"Venting my anger out on you." He declared. "I've always found you annoying. But tonight, you exceeded my expectations."

"_What_?"

"What are you, _slow_?" He sneered as they circled each other. "Do I have to draw a picture for you to understand...or perhaps speak with a stuffy British accent and wear glasses and tweed?"

"I don't know what you're doing, or what you're thinking, but Angel, _stop_." Buffy tried to get through to him. "Think of Chloe. She---."

"Chloe's being _much_ more agreeable than you right now." He replied, eyes flashing gold as his face shifted into that of his demon. "And stop calling me Angel. The name _sickens_ me."

Buffy went still in shock as she realized what he was saying. "_Angelus_."

"Ding! Ding! We have a _winner_!" He clapped mockingly. "Really, Slayer, I don't know _why_ everyone says you're all brawn and no brain."

"_How_?" Buffy whispered, ignoring the insult.

"And ruin the surprise?" He chuckled, beginning to back away, smile taunting. "Wanna give me a message for Chloe?"

Buffy's heart went sick with fear as she remembered that Chloe had been with Angel before...before he turned Angelus. "_What did you do to her?!_"

"Nothing...as long as she continues to behave. And she will...as long as I keep my new pet." Angelus chuckled.

"Pet?" Buffy whispered, confused.

"How's _Sammy_ doing?" Angelus suddenly asked with mock concern. "Has anyone heard from him today?"

Buffy's eyes widened in horror. "_Sam?_"

He chuckled and then turned, disappearing into the shadows.

Buffy collapsed to her knees on the ground.

"This...can't be happening."

* * *

**Review?**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Supernatural.

**So, we've come to the end of the road. I hope you all enjoyed this little series of mine!**

* * *

Chloe, Sam, Angelus, Spike Dru....the minions...they had all vanished off of the face of the earth.

The warehouse where they'd been in was empty. The moment Buffy had returned to tell Dean about her confrontation with Angelus and what he'd said, the young man had ran all the way to his home, tried desperately to find his brother, and then gone to the warehouse. But by that time everything had been moved and the only things left behind were Sam's torn, bloody clothes.

Dean had nearly gone insane with agony and grief, the fury emanating from his only rivaling Gabe's when Chloe's father found out.

And that had been weeks ago.

The vampires had been suspiciously _absent _since the fiasco with the Judge, and no matter how much and where they looked, the Scooby Gang couldn't find their kidnapped friends, or their fanged kidnappers anywhere.

They were getting desperate, realizing that Willy the Snitch was _actually_ telling the truth when he said that he had no idea about what was going on, and that worried them more than anything. Because Willy the Snitch knew _everything_, it was only a matter of how much you had to beat him up before he spilled. But this time he didn't know anything, anything at all.

Which meant that the vampires were keeping a tight lid on whatever it was that they were doing.

"This is my fault." Dean kicked at the wall, furious. "I left him there home alone! I should have--!"

"You couldn't have known this was going to happen!" Cordelia snapped at him. "Stop blaming yourself!"

"I'm his older brother!" Dean's voice cracked with emotion. "I was supposed to be taking care of him!"

"But what triggered Angelus returning?" Jenny asked for the millionth time. "What could have _possibly_ happened to make the soul go away and the demon return to control?"

"What does it matter?" Dean snapped.

"It matters a lot, actually." Buffy came to Jenny's defense, surprisingly. "If only we knew what brought Angelus to the forefront, we could figure out a way to force him back into the cage."

"At least we were able to find the un-invite spells and do them to everyone's home, so he can't enter them at will." Giles sighed. "One less fear to worry about for now."

"But why aren't they doing anything?" Buffy turned to her Watcher. "Why are they laying low? _Why?"_

"I believe it is a classic battle strategy to throw one's opponent off his game." Giles announced, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "He's trying to make us anxious, to keep us guessing and worried." His face went grave. "We can be sure that wherever they are, the are at serious work plotting their next move."

* * *

"_WEEEEEEEEEE ARE THE CHAMPIIIIIIOOOOONS, MY !"_ Angelus and Spike sang into the microphones up upon the stage, Angelus leaning down on the back of Spike's wheelchair. The blonde vampire still needed it to get around, but he was regaining feeling in his legs and had been able to move them slightly the day before, so they were all out enjoying themselves and celebrating. "_AND WEEEEEE'LLLLL KEEP ON FIIIIGHTING TO THE ENNNNNNNNNNND!_"

Dru giggled, clapping happily as the two vampires enjoyed themselves upstage to the roar of the audience cheering them on.

From where she sat, Chloe shared a look with Sam, who was healed up better, though he still had dark bruises. The young man was wearing a collar that was firmly attached to a chain-leash Dru kept a hold of.

Apparently Dru had always wanted a puppy.

"_NO TIME FOR LOOOOOOOOOOSERS 'CAUSE WE ARE THE CHAMMMMMPPPIIIOOONS----OF THE WORLD!"_

"Somehow, when I imagined the favorite past time of the two most bloody and horrific vampires in existence," Sam frowned, looking up at the stage. "Karaoke just never figured."

"My Dark Knight sang the stars to sleep in '70." Drusilla turned to Sam with a giggle. "They gave him a cup of gold and bubbly and cheese from their place upon their knees."

Sam frowned, sending a confused look to Chloe.

"I think..." Chloe tilted her head slightly, in fascination. "I think she just said Spike won a karaoke contest in...Hollywood...in the 1970s."

Dru giggled and nodded, laying down half on top of Chloe on the loveseat-style seating in the demon bar, like a child cuddled up against her mother, arms around her waist, eyes closed contentedly. "Mommy always understands me when no one else does. Not even my Old Mommy understood me. Called Dru the Crazy Girl." She pouted, holding onto Chloe's waist tighter. "I'm so glad we have Mommy and Puppy here. I like my new family."

Sam and Chloe exchanged looks.

Once again things were getting conflicted.

The longer they stayed with Spike, Angelus and Drusilla, the longer things got blurred.

The humans _knew_ what the two fed on when they went out to hunt at night, leaving Sam shackled and taking the key with them...and Chloe left with Spike to feed him.

But it wasn't as if they saw it happening.

And when they _did_ see the vampires...it was like it was a really fucked up and dysfunctional family.

But a family none the less.

And a family Chloe and Sam had, apparently, been included into without their permission.

Dru leaned down, where Sam was sitting on a plushie mat on the ground, petting his head as one would a favored dog. "We'll be together for eternity."

Sam and Chloe exchanged another look at that.

Dru closed her eyes and continued to rest against Chloe, slowly growing heavier as she fell asleep, Spike and Angelus, regaling the cheering audience with another song, this one was S.E.X. by Nickleback.

Things...things were odd.

When Drusilla and Angelus had come back from the failure with the Judge Chloe had been weak from Spike's feeding from her, and Sam had been weak from the beating he was still trying to recover from, so neither had been quite coherent that night, and hadn't noticed the fact that they'd been moved.

Out of the state.

Apparently Angel, Spike and Drusilla had decided that they were bored with Sunnydale and wanted to return to some of their old haunts, and had dragged the new member of the family and their pet along.

Or in other words, Chloe and Sam.

Thus a surreal experience had begun for the two captives.

Sam drank his coke in silence, shaking his head as he looked up at the stage.

Chloe ran her hands over Dru's hair in the way she knew calmed and soothed the vampiress. For some reason, whenever the female creature of the night went into one of her fits, Spike and Angelus would hoist her on Chloe, and the blonde had been forced to find various ways of soothing her, forcing herself to understand Drusilla no matter _how_ crazy the vampiress might sound---because nothing made Drusilla more agitated than when she was trying to tell them something and no one could understand.

"Dean...he must be really worried about me." Sam sighed, gaze lowered onto the coke in his hands. "He must be going crazy imagining me being tortured or used as a living blood bag or something." His blue/green gaze rose to meet Chloe's. "Makes me feel guilty."

"You shouldn't feel guilty, Sam." Chloe whispered. "You should be relieved."

He snorted, shaking his head. "Yeah. Relieved." His gaze returned to the soda can. "Relieved that for some reason vampires who _detest_ humans seem to have forgotten I'm their prisoner, except for the leash of course, and instead treat me like a _pet_." He made a face. "Dru gets me _treats_ for crying out loud!" His eyes begged for her to understand. "Why are they doing this? Wouldn't it be easier and safer for them to just keep me shackled in some dark dungeon and make you see me once a month to know that I was still alive?"

"Angelus knows that that would make me miserable, and I'd spend the whole time worrying about you, thus annoying him." Chloe whispered, lowering her gaze, feeling guilty once more for her part in Sam's situation. "He doesn't want me upset or unhappy, or worried, thinking about anything else than him. So he keeps you near...and Dru...Dru became fond of you. And Spike, he'd do anything to keep Dru happy, so he accepts you too."

Sam frowned. "But---_why _did she become fond of me_?_"

Chloe shrugged.

"I mean, I can somehow understand how they're accepting you. You--" he looked down. "You're Angelus' mate. You're the Master's daughter. Your blood is healing Spike..." Sam sighed. "I know they don't consider me a threat, and given the circumstances it's understandable...but I'm a human, I'm _food_." He ran a hand through his hair. "And I get it, I'm the _pet_. But some people treat their pets like shit! And I've _seen_ the other pets of some of these demons in these kinda places. I mean. Look at that one over there."

Chloe followed his movement, gaze falling upon a miserable-looking young man, who was nearly naked, and sitting on the cold hard floor, not upon a plushie pillow like Angelus had had brought for Sam. She sighed and looked away, only able to cope with these things by not looking at them, by pretending that they weren't there and that they weren't happening.

"_That_ should be me. _And_ they should be trying to snack on me from time to time. I've read about _pets_ in the Watchers Journals." Sam surprised her by announcing. "I snuck a couple out of Giles' office some months ago and read a couple of them, so believe me, I _know_ that I'm being treated privileged, and it makes this so much worse!"

"I don't care." Chloe snapped at him, looking away. "I don't _care_. As long are you're alive and you're unhurt I don't _care_ about your guilt."

He looked at her in shock. "_Chloe_..."

She turned to look at him, face hard and determined. "I'm going to get you out of here somehow, Sam. But until then I'm going to do all I have to do to make sure that you're treated as humanly as possible...no matter the situation."

On stage, Spike and Angelus had been about to descend, but the crowd had convinced them to sing one more, so they were singing Bad To The Bone. A song which suited them quite well.

"Chloe, I don't---I don't blame you or anything." Sam told her, hesitating a second before placing his hand on hers. "And...and I'm sorry for complaining...I..."

Dru gave a whimper in her sleep and tightened her hold on Chloe's waist.

Chloe gave a little hiss when the grip hurt a bit, her ribs complaining, but then in a second Dru sleepily softened her grip, murmuring in her sleep about fairies and moons and Miss Edith not being a lady.

"Is she hurting you?" Sam asked, a little worried.

"It stopped." She was quick to reassure him.

Sam looked down at the happily sleeping Dru, up to Chloe. "She wouldn't hurt you intentionally, you know. It---I can't understand it. But despite being insane and downright _evil_, she seems to love you."

"I think love is a strong word." Chloe looked away from him.

"I would have thought it too," Sam admitted, voice determined. "But after staying with these vampires for these last couple of weeks...my...perception...of them has changed slightly."

"How?" She turned her green gaze on him, curious.

"They can love." Sam chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "I wouldn't have believed that possible, but in their own way they love. I mean, look at Spike and Drusilla. They get on each other's nerves but they're devoted to each other. And Angelus..." Sam's face darkened as he looked away from her. "He mightn't know what _love_ is, but what he feels for you...that's as close as a creature who doesn't love can get to loving."

Chloe looked down at Drusilla's head as the blonde softly caressed the dark hair, soothing the undead beauty in her sleep.

Sam's words rang in her mind, backing up her own suspicions. For the longest times she had believed that Angelus and Angel weren't two separate entities, as they both liked to believe, but the black and the white of _one_. And lately...when _Angel_ went away...The dark wasn't as dark as it'd used to be. Sam wasn't the only one who'd stolen Watchers Journals form beneath Giles' nose and read them under the cover of darkness. She knew what Angelus was capable of doing, she knew what he _enjoyed_ doing...and Angelus wasn't doing it.

Oh, he wasn't going vegan any day now...but mass murder and monumental disaster wasn't in his plans.

He ate to survive.

His 'fun' he had like this...or at home.

Chloe knew...she _knew_ that the soul wasn't really gone.

She didn't exactly know what was going on...but there were so many times when she'd feel like Angelus was Angel...just like there'd be moments when she'd felt that Angel was Angelus...

She...she wondered if the soul hadn't _disappeared_...but had merged...somehow...with the demon.

And that they were in a process of...joining black and white...and making it gray instead.

"You okay?" Sam asked her.

She looked at him and gave him a small smile.

* * *

"There can't be _no_ news." Gabe looked a mixture of angry and terrified after Giles and Jenny had performed the un-invite spell in his home. "Do you realize how _long_ its been since she's gone missing?"

Buffy lowered her head in shame.

She was the Slayer, and yet she hadn't been able to save the people who mattered most in her life.

Chloe and Sam were two of her best friends, and not only couldn't she keep them from being kidnapped, and not only couldn't she save them---but she couldn't even _find_ them. Ever since Angelus had come back Giles had had them pouring over the more classified Watchers Journals, the ones that documented Angelus and his reign of terror, and the thought that Chloe and Sam were under that monster's power both terrified and sickened her to the core.

"We're doing all we can." Giles tired to assure Gabe, face determined. "We---we have even discussed the possibility of them having moved."

Buffy sat down.

"_Moved_?" Gabe looked at the Watcher.

Jenny brought her hand to Gabe's arm.

"Yes, they may have moved while they regroup after we defeated the Judge, and find a safer place to plan their next attack." Giles admitted, sitting down next to Buffy. "The Council has their members on duty on a look out. If anyone, _anywhere_, gets a whiff of where Angelus or Spike or Drusilla are, they will contact the Council immediately and they'll contact us."

"And I'll _kill_ them." Buffy vowed.

Giles sent her a worried look.

She didn't even notice it.

Her mind was a mess. Her own voice screamed at her in her head, telling her how worthless, and how useless, she was, as a Slayer and as a friend. If it had been Kendra this wouldn't have happened.

Buffy was _useless_.

"_We'll_ kill them." Dean sneered from where he and Cordelia stood in the corner.

Buffy turned to look at him, both of their hazel eyes dark and cold.

They looked at each other without saying a word, before nodding.

* * *

In the bathroom of the club, Chloe washed her face with cold water, taking in a deep breath and looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Her hair was longer, and her skin paler from keeping vampiric hours.

And there were dark circles under her eyes from her lack of sleep.

She needed to find a way to get Sam free, and get him back to Sunnydale.

She needed to find a way to convince Angelus that he didn't need to keep the human anymore to make sure that she behaved.

Her arms trembled, as did her lips, as she closed her eyes to the tears gathering in her eyes.

Dean must be so worried, so terrified, blaming himself...

And her father...

A little whimper escaped her lips.

Her _father_...

Bringing her hands to her face, Chloe let herself the luxury of a few sobs before wiping at her wet eyes and taking in a deep breath, washing her face once more with the cold water to try and diminish the telltale red blotches and puffy eyes that betrayed the fact that she'd been crying.

Angelus wouldn't be happy if he realized that she'd been crying.

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe looked at her reflection once more.

What else could she do?

She'd even considered trying to call Clark.

But he'd try to be a hero, try to save her, and he'd get himself killed.

And she refused to be the reason why another of her friends was in danger.

Drying her face, Chloe took in another deep breath and exited the bathroom, heading slowly down the dark corridor towards the main building, where the music was playing, some Three Days Grace song blasting now that karaoke hour was over and music was flooding the place.

"Look who it is."

Chloe stopped, hearing the female voice in the shadows around her.

"It's the little bitch who thinks she's good enough to be on the arm of _The Scourge of Europe." _Another announced.

Still, Chloe watched as around her, from the shadows, emerged four female demons of different types.

All beautiful.

All deadly.

All pissed.

"We don't have to do this." Chloe warned them, not having the patience for this.

"Yes, we do." One of the demonesses in the back announced. "You know how long we've been waiting for Angelus to return, and when he finally _does_ its only to find out that _you_ have your claws in him?"

"It's unacceptable." Yet another declared, taking a menacing step towards Chloe.

Right now Chloe would have liked to have one of her weapons on her, but considering she wasn't _allowed_ a weapon, well...

Her eyes narrowed on the dark place around the, trying to find a make-shift weapon.

As usual, this wasn't a movie and there wasn't any magical weapon just lying down in a convenient spot for the heroine to use to save herself with.

_Damn_.

With a roar the demoness from behind her surged forwards.

Chloe twisted out of the way, grabbed her head and gave it a sharp jerk...a loud _crack_ resounded in the darkness as the demoness fell to the ground, head twisted all the way around.

The other demonesses shared a look between them.

"We _really_ don't have to do this." Chloe offered once more, though she felt a little better now after having worked off a little of her inner anger.

"You think you're such a tough cookie, don't you, you bitch?" The green one sneered.

"I think I'm getting _tired_ of you." Chloe sneered. "Do you _really_ think that Angelus would have gone to all the trouble of kidnapping me and keeping my friend _chained up_ if I were some docile little girl?"

One of the demonesses looked down at the dead female by Chloe's feet, gulping.

"I don't know what he sees in you." The first one declared, coming towards her, fingernails growing long into claws. "But by the time I'm done with you, all he'll see is---."

Chloe kicked the female in her face before shoving her onto the ground and kicking her in the face again when the demoness tried to get up. "Stay down."

"You conceited _bitch_!" Mouth bloody, teeth loose, the demoness surged up at her, swiping at her with her claws.

The demoness swung at Chloe, but the blonde ducked and kicked her in the back of the knees, making the demoness fall to her knees on the ground. The blonde quickly followed up with a knee-kick to the back of the demoness' head, causing her to slam face first into the ground, knocking her unconscious.

Chloe turned to the other demonesses, smirking. "Okay. Let's do this."

The two remaining looked at each other before racing away.

She shook her head. "And I'd just started having fun."

"Somehow. When I heard you and my son had been kidnapped. I didn't imagine this."

Chloe turned at the sound of the voice, watching with wide eyes when John Winchester, armed to the teeth, appeared in front of her. "_John_."

"Chloe." He nodded, gaze going to the dead demoness at Chloe's feet, and the unconscious one bleeding away from the face into the ground.

"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked, going towards him, unable to believe what she was seeing. Her eyes narrowed on his weapons.

"I've been tracking you ever since you left Sunnydale, but every time I found where you and Sam were, you'd been moved." John Winchester explained, stakes on the hooks of his belt, bottles of what she was sure were _holy water_ there as well.

"You're a _Hunter_." Chloe whispered, looking up at him, realization dawning on her. She went towards in him awe, before glaring and punching him square in the jaw, the unexpected blow causing his face to swing with the force. "_That_ was for hitting Sam and Dean! And for terrifying Cordelia!" She kicked him in his shin. "When you're a _good_ guy..._act like one!_!"

"_Fuck_!" John hissed, falling to his knees on the ground. "Can _you_ really talk to me about acting like a good guy?"

She stopped, sighing, going to her knees next to him. "I don't hurt the ones I love on purpose."

He looked at her. "I don't want to."

The blonde looked at him before placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're here...to rescue Sam."

"You both." He replied, grudgingly accepting her help to stand up.

"I'm not leaving." She let go of his hand and took in a deep breath. "I caused this to happen, and I'm going to find a way to right this...but Sam doesn't have to suffer here for me to do that." She looked behind her. "Those two will cause a scandal. You have to get out of here. There are too many demons here. You don't stand a chance."

"I'm not leaving without my son." John glared at her. "I've done things that keep me up at night to protect those boys, and I will _not_ leave here without him."

"You'll get him. Tonight. Later." Chloe promised. "I'll find a way. Just...you know the old park some streets down?"

He nodded.

"I'll find a way to have us there close to sunrise."

"How do I know you won't set me up?" John hissed at her. "You don't exactly look that much like a kidnapped victim. They let you walk around _alone_."

Chloe looked up at him, hard. "You're just going to have to trust me, John Winchester. Now get _out_ of here."

He gave her a look before rushing away, blending into the darkness.

Chloe closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

She'd wondered when she'd have to do this.

* * *

"You---haven't been here----for a long time." Dean whispered, collapsing into the sofa, not looking at Cordelia as he spoke.

The brunette hugged herself, looking around the place before sighing and sitting down next to him. "Being alone here...it's not good for you. You're going to go mad. If you haven't already."

He chuckled darkly, closing his eyes tightly. "I wonder that sometimes too. If I'm not mad. Sometimes...sometimes I think I prefer that theory, that I'm locked up somewhere with a straightjacket and hyped up on meds...but that Sammy is safe and fine and comes to visit me every sunday even though I'm too hyped up to know he's there...'cause he's a good brother like that."

Cordelia was silent by his side before placing a hand on his back. "Sam's okay. He's going to come back. You---you know that."

"No, I _don't_." Dean's voice broke with his emotion. "For all I know he's dead. Or he's being tortured. Or he's been turned into one of _them."_ He opened his tear-filled eyes, turning to Cordelia. "I don't know _anything_."

"Sam is _fine_." Cordelia urged, hesitating only a second before reaching for him, cupping his jaw with her hand. "Chloe won't let anything happen to him. She'll take care of him...just...just like I'll...take care of you."

Dean's eyes widened as a silent tear made its way down his cheek. "Cor?"

"_Shhh."_ She whispered, leaning in. "Whenever you talk, you ruin everything."

He gave a half-choked chuckle before her lips touched his.

* * *

Sam hated Angelus.

He'd disliked Angel, but he _hated_ the demon.

And yet, and yet...yet Sam sometimes felt like he could understand the demon much more than he ever could have understood the soul.

Like_ why_ Angelus made Sam sleep, shackled to the wall in _his _room with Chloe.

In his corner, in the darkness, far away from anything that could be used as a weapon or used to try and pick his shackles, Sam sat on the mattress on the floor, blanket around his midsection, doing _nothing_ to hide his state as his gaze stayed, unwavering, on the bed.

"_Oh_!" Chloe whimpered, voice deeper and husky and throaty as she sat astride Angelus, hair falling down her naked back, breasts glorious, hips bucking as Angelus groaned in appreciation below. "_Gods..."_

A whimper escaped Sam's lips as he once again lost the battle with his self will, shackled hands going to his throbbing, painful dick, palming himself over his pants.

He kept his eyes firmly on her, listening to her voice, as he began to move his hand over himself, establishing the rhythm to match the thrusts inside of her.

Sam remembered the first night he'd watched them fuck. The fist night he'd been shackled in their room...and Angelus had demanded physical satisfaction from Chloe. The blonde had been so horrified, so embarrassed, and Sam had been shocked speechless, unable to speak, mouth dry.

"_So good_..." She gasped.

Sam's young body twitched violently.

He couldn't count how many times now he'd had to watch, unable to do anything, as they fucked in front of him, Angelus sending him sneers now and then.

Telling him with those eyes...Look, what you want is what I have. Look...see what you can't touch.

Sam's pace grew faster, faster.

"_Yes...YES!_" Chloe cried, head flung back, mouth open, hips bucking erratically as she came.

Angelus snarled, sitting up in a seemingly impossibly fluid movement and grabbing her hair. Pulling it to the side he vamped out, fangs piercing her skin.

The first time Sam had watched that he'd fought his shackles, worried for Chloe.

But now...now he knew how much that drove her crazy.

He'd watched her come undone by that mere act an uncountable amount of times by now.

And he imagined himself in Angelus' position, imagined himself the one with the fangs buried deep in her...

...and he bit down hard on his lips as he came hard and fast, messing his pants.

It was going to be a pain falling asleep now, pants wet and sticky.

Sam slumped down back against the wall, panting softly, as Angelus continued to drink from Chloe before pulling away and licking at her wound, smirking at Sam knowingly, like he did every single time.

Angelus enjoyed this.

He enjoyed this _way_ too much.

Sam glared hatefully at Angelus...which only seemed to amuse the vampire even more.

Yawning, Angelus pulled Chloe down with him, still inside of her, letting her lay on top of his chest as his eyes closed.

Sam watched them.

Like he always did.

Surprisingly soon there was snoring.

Angelus usually didn't fall asleep that quickly.

He usually sneered and tormented Sam a little by offering to let him join in next time or something.

Slowly, hesitantly, Chloe began to wriggle off of Angelus, and then off of the bed, never taking her eyes off of her vampiric lover as she hurriedly looked for her clothes and put them on.

Sam watched her curiously, wondering what was going on.

The blonde finished pulling on her jeans and walked towards the bed, reaching into the darkness and pulling out a key. She looked at Angelus one last time before hurrying towards Sam, surprise causing him to sit ramrod straight as the key entered the lock of the shackles, and with a turn, opened them.

"What are you doing?" He whispered, nearly panicked. "And where did you get the key?"

"_Play along_." She hissed to him, helping him up and passing him the leash to attach to his collar.

Sam hooked the leash into the collar, completely confused, and let her ease them out of the room, forgetting all about his sticky pants.

Together they slowly made their way out of the house, surprised how none of the minions stationed as guards had caught them.

The sun began to rise, bathing the earth in its rays and chasing away the darkness, as they hurriedly made their way down the streets.

"We're free." Sam whispered, unable to believe it. "How did---? Angelus should have heard us. He---."

"He _would_ have." Chloe nodded. "Spike would have too...and Drusilla...if I hadn't made sure they'd be down and out."

"How?" Sam turned to her as they continued walking hurriedly to only God knew where.

"My blood. I injected it with a hardcore sedative I got off of one of the dealers in the club in New Orleans." Chloe responded. "My body isn't affected by the sedative, but anyone who drinks my blood, or drinks from someone who's drunk from me, like Drusilla and Spike, would get knocked out within minutes of its consumption."

"You've had this since New Orleans?" Sam whispered. "Then why haven't you done it before?"

"Because I didn't have a safe escape before. No way to make sure that was a definite way out of the city and to Sunnydale." Chloe announced as they reached the park.

"And what about the key?" Sam asked.

"I got Drusilla to give it to me tonight without the others knowing, in exchange for a story."

"I can't believe it." Sam exclaimed. "Why tonight? What changed? What gave you the conviction to make the break tonight?"

"I think I might have had something to do with that." A surprisingly familiar voice announced.

Sam turned towards the voice, eyes wide. "_Dad_?"

* * *

"You have to sleep, Buffy." Giles told her as they sat in his car outside her home. "You're going to collapse one night during patrol and give the vampires an easy target."

"Maybe I should let them." Buffy whispered. "Maybe I should just end it and let Kendra come here and take her rightful place as Slayer. I'm obviously no good. I let two of my dearest and best friends get taken right under my nose..."

"Don't you _ever_ say you should be dead!" Giles hissed, eyes narrowed. "_You_ are the Slayer. _You_ are the rightful one. And _you_ are _not_ to blame! _No one_ could have foreseen Angelus' return. _No one_."

"I should have _done_ something." Buffy whispered, tears falling down her cheeks as she turned to look at him.

"You did. You saved the world from the Judge."

"But while I was doing that my friends were being taken captive!"

"They would have _died_ if you hadn't stopped him, Buffy!" Giles sighed. "We have to have faith, Buffy. Chloe would have told us that if she were here with us."

"But she's not." Buffy whispered, opening the door and getting out.

Giles sighed as he watched her walk towards her room window.

And only after she'd disappeared into her room did he take off his glasses and allow himself to cry.

* * *

"What are _you_ doing here?" Sam turned to his father, surprised and wary.

Chloe eyed the extra weapons that'd appeared strapped or concealed on John.

He sure was a cautious one.

"I don't understand you." John told Chloe truthfully.

"Same back at you." The blonde stood her guard, hands on her hips. "You have to move fast. The sedative I gave them would knock out a rhinoceros for a day---but I don't know how long it works for the undead...and from my experience I'd say to expect the worse...so you need to be out of the city by the hour."

John nodded.

"You mean _we_ need to be out of the city by the hour." Sam turned to Chloe, eyes narrowing, growing suspicious.

She turned to him, worrying her bottom lip, knowing that this was going to be difficult. "No. I mean _you_."

He looked confused for a second, before his eyes went narrowed in understanding. "You're going back."

She nodded.

In one smooth movement he'd stepped in front of her and grabbed hold of her shoulders. "Are you _insane_?" He gave her a little shake. "When they realize that you've drugged them and helped me escape they'll kill you!"

"Boy has a point." John told her.

"You stay out of this!" Sam snapped at him. "_What_ are you doing here anyway?"

"He's a Hunter." Chloe responded, looking from father to son. "I---I came across this group while trying to research John some time ago, but I really hadn't thought---Cordelia was sure he was just some creepy serial killer slash abusive father so I kinda just stuck with the theory."

"Hunter?" Sam asked, slowly.

"Kinda like we do. But instead of sticking to the baddies in our area, he goes all over the country hunting them." Chloe explained. "But I'll let him explain it to you on your way home."

"I'm not letting you go back there." Sam tightened his hold on her shoulders. "I _can't_."

"_Sam._.." She whispered, looking up at him, knowing the pain was written on her face and hating herself for making this more difficult. "I'm going to be fine. But you need to go home. Dean needs you."

"I _won't_ leave you." He swore harshly, voice ragged.

"You _have_ to."

"No." His gaze lowered and he shook his head. "I _don't_." And with that he brought his gaze to her, determined.

And then his hand was cupping the back of her head and his lips touched hers, soft, testing...

...and then he kissed her in earnest.

Butterflies danced in her stomach, and her nerve-ends seem to come alive...and Chloe didn't realize she was kissing him back until she felt silk under her fingertips and realized that her hands were in his hair, her body arched into his, his arms around her tightly, her lips moving against his with as much ferocity as his were.

They pulled away slightly, Sam resting his forehead against hers, Chloe's face a mask of surprise and shock, Sam's one of blissful satisfaction.

"I can't let you go back alone." He whispered.

"You have to." She whispered back, so confused.

"No." He shook his head softly. "I'm coming back with you."

Chloe pulled away slightly, looking up into his eyes in shock. "_What_?"

Sam opened his mouth, but then his eyes rolled back in his head and he would have collapsed to the ground if John hadn't been right behind him to catch him.

"_Sam_?" Chloe cried, scared.

"He's okay." John grunted under the weight of his rather tall son. "I just pressed a pressure point to keep him from doing something stupid. He'll hate me even more by the time he wakes up, but we'll be far from here by then."

Chloe nodded, bringing a shaky hand to wipe at the tears forming in her eyes. "Thank you."

He nodded, hoisting his son up higher in his arms, before looking her over, hesitant. "You can still come with us, Chloe. You don't have to go back there. You _shouldn't_ go back there."

"You can't stop me."

He gave a wane smile, shaking his head. "Just like your mother." He looked at his son. "I would have gone with her to hell too."

Chloe looked away, cheeks going red, still unable to process what had just happened between her and Sam. "You two should go now. You're burning daylight."

"I parked a block down. We'll be fine." John hesitated another second. "Take my phone."

"What?" Chloe asked, confused.

"Call your father. Let him know you're okay and that this is your choice." John motioned with his head to the hip pocket that had the phone. "I know what it's like to be a father and not know what's happened to your child."

Another wave of guilt flooded her, but she didn't respond, only going to his and taking the phone from his pocket, bringing it to her heart. "Thank you, John."

He nodded.

"And---and I'm not apologizing for hitting you." She declared a little defiantly. "You kinda deserved that, and more."

He chuckled. "_Just_ like your mother." And with that, he turned and walked away, grunting under Sam's weight.

Chloe watched him go until he was out of sight, and then she looked at the phone, taking in a deep breath, dialing the numbers with shaky fingers, and bringing the phone to her ear, listening as it rung.

"Hello?" Gabe Sullivan's voice was hoarse and tired.

"Daddy?" Chloe brought her hand to her mouth to muffle her sobs as immediately tears filled her eyes at the sound of his voice.

"_Chloe_?" He sounded so lost. "Chloe! Baby! Where are you? What---?"

"Daddy, I'm---I'm fine." She wiped at her eyes, at the tears making their way down her face. "Daddy, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too baby. I've been worried sick! Where---?"

"I'm sorry."

"You---you haven't done anything Chloe. You---you have nothing to feel sorry for." His voice was breaking. "You're my baby girl. You---you're not at fault."

"Yes, I am." A little sob escaped her lips as she sniffled, continuing to try and wipe her eyes. "Daddy. I'm fine, okay? They're treating me good, like...like family. So don't worry about me."

"Chlo---."

"And Sam's going home." She quickly stopped him, not sure she could get through this conversation and not break down. "His father was here. I'm actually calling you from his phone. He got Sam, and he's taking him back home."

There was silence. "You're not coming back, are you?"

She closed her eyes tightly. "Daddy, I'm the one to blame for Angel losing his soul, and I need to find a way to right that. If I don't Angel is going to go completely black, and we'll have to kill him...and I can't let that happen. While I'm here...he stays...he stays gray. I can't---I can't do this to him and then abandon him, daddy."

"He's not a child, Chloe. He's a hundred and something! He's responsible for his own acts!"

"If it hadn't been for _me_ Angel would still have his soul and be fighting the good fight." Chloe's voice was firm now. "I love you daddy, I always will, but this is what I have to do. I'm staying here because it's _my_ choice. And...and I just wanted to tell you, so you wouldn't worry so much about me. And---and tell the others not to worry either. I'll be fine."

"_Chloe_..." His voice was shaky, choked with emotion.

"Daddy." She whispered. "This is hard for me to do, but it's the right choice. I know it in my heart, and nothing you say is going to change my mind." She tightened her shaky hold on the phone. "So, _please_, just tell me you love me...and that you know I can do this."

There was a moment of silence.

"I _love_ you, baby." Gabe's voice wavered, his tears obvious in his voice. "And I _know_ you can do this."

Chloe collapsed to her knees, crying softly, a pained smile on her face. "_Thank you_."

* * *

**You Are Now Leaving Sunnydale...COME BACK SOON!**

Buffy barely glanced at the sign as she sped passed it on her way out of the place that had just ruined her life.

Shifting the gears in the car she'd hotwired, the blonde's haze gaze went to the rearview mirror, looking at her bag of clothes and stuff in the back, before her gaze returned to the front, pressing down harder on the accelerator.

She needed to get as far away from Sunnydale as possible.

With her gone, Kendra could be called as Slayer, and they'd get the Slayer they deserved. Someone who took her calling seriously, who had done all the studying necessary, who _wasn't_ so selfish and inadequate.

Buffy should have died a long time ago _anyway._

Once again she pressed down harder on the accelerator, until it had gone down as far as it could without breaking.

All Buffy did was disappoint.

And she couldn't do this anymore.

Her phone began to ring on the passenger's seat.

She picked it up, seeing Giles' number flashing, and she wanted to pick up...she _hurt_ with her desire to pick it up.

But she closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and threw the ringing phone out of the car window.

There was silence in the car now.

Buffy wiped at a silent tear making its way down her cheek.

_Goodbye._

* * *

Hanging up, holding the phone to her heart, Chloe slowly got to her feet and took in a deep breath, wiping at her eyes.

Angelus was going to be _so_ pissed.

She winced at the thought.

"You never fail to entertain me."

Turning at the sound of that voice, Chloe's eyes widened when she noticed a caucasian man sitting on the swing, watching her with amusement. "What?"

"You had the chance to leave your captivity, but you instead chose to stay with the vampire." The man announced, smiling even. "I don't know why I'm surprised, really. Moira would have chosen to stay with her vampire lover instead of John as well." He tilted his head slightly as he looked at her. "You really _are_ like her, despite everything."

"You knew my mother?" Chloe asked, shocked, tightening her grip on the phone. "And what do you _mean_ 'despite everything'? Who _are_ you?"

"You could call me an Entertained Observer." The man announced, pushing himself softly on the swing with little concern. "And _you_, my dear girl, have provided me with _a lot_ of entertainment these last couple of months."

Her eyes widened. "You've been stalking me?"

"I _did_ say I was an _Observer_." He chuckled. "I think it should be obviously _what_ I was observing."

She didn't know whether to be scared or annoyed. "What do you want?"

"I've come to realize, that you have a misconception about your...conception." He seemed to find his wording amusing, chuckling even before continuing. "And while I find it somewhat amusing, I also find it nauseating that that vampire tried to claim so much power. He was a mere _vampire. _And yet he and Moira thought _so much_ about him." He shook his head. "And thanks to him, everyone else now think him possible of such unnatural abilities...like the one to _procreate_."

Chloe went still.

"He was a _vampire. _No matter _how_ old he was. He was _dead_. And the Hellmouth? It wouldn't give him the power to create life if it wouldn't even help him get out of captivity." The newcomer snorted. "The Hellmouth exists for _power_, and the so-called _Master_ was killed by a sixteen year old _blonde_." He snorted. "Do you _really_ think the Hellmouth would waste its energy creating something from _his_ obviously deficient lineage?"

"I'm not his daughter?" Chloe whispered, unable to believe it, a slow smile touching her face.

"Made you happy, didn't I?" He chuckled, finally standing up from the swing. "I would be too, learning that that lower being wasn't my father."

That smile grew. "I'm not the Master's daughter." She looked up at the newcomer. "Gabe's my father?"

The stranger sneered in disgust. "Please. Haven't you realized it by now?"

She went still. "_You're_ not my..."

"No, no..." He shook his head. "I won't be like that Attention Seeking Vampire and claim something that isn't _mine_." He looked her up and down. "Think it over. You're smart. You may have already wondered this yourself, and if you haven't...you _will_."

"I don't...I don't understand." Chloe took a confused step towards him. "If the Master wasn't my father, Gabe isn't my father, and _you_ aren't my father...._who_ _is_ my father?"

He just smirked. "Now _that_ would be taking half of the fun out of this. And I _so_ enjoy being entertained by you." He turned and began to leave, whistling a jaunty tune, hands in his pockets.

"Where are you going?" She called after him.

"I've got places to go..." He called back. "People to do things to."

She frowned. "At least tell me your real name!"

"My name..." He stopped at that, turning towards her, eyes flashing gold. "Is Azazel."

"_Azazel_." She whispered.

He smirked, nodded, and turned, leaving as he continued whistling the catchy tune.

Chloe watched him go, confused.

Who _was_ Azazel...and who was _she_?

* * *

Reaching blindly for the ringing phone, Dean brought it to his ear. "_Hello_?"

"Dean, this is Gabe Sullivan."

Dean sat up straight in bed, all sleep gone from him. "Mr. Sullivan? What is it? What's wrong? What happened?"

Cordelia, from where she was sleeping next to him, groaned at his voice and placed a pillow over her head to block the sound.

"Dean, I---I just got a call from Chloe."

Dean was out of the bed in seconds, trying to find his pants in the dark. "How is she? Did she say anything about Sam? What---?"

"She said that she was fine. And...and she said that your father was bringing Sam home."

Dean froze in his search. "My _father_?"

"Ye-yes." Gabe stammered. "She said that your father was going to have to have a serious heart-to-heart with you when he came home. And they'll be here in a couple of days. They're driving. From out of state."

Dean leaned heavily against the wall. "Sammy's coming back home? He's okay?"

"Yes."

"_Thank God_." Dean slid down to the fall, hand going to his face. "_Thank God!_"

"I'm---happy---for you, Dean." Gabe stammered, voice thick with emotion.

"And I'm for you." Dean smiled through tears in his eyes. "Chlo---."

"Isn't coming back."

Dean's eyes widened in horror. "_What_?"

There was a shaky intake of breath. "_She's not coming back_."

* * *

The drug might have had the potency to wipe out a rhino for a whole day, but it didn't have the same affect on vampires at all, unfortunately.

The moment Chloe entered the lair she found ashes...most probably of the minion guards...and the house in a mess.

It was as if some monster had destroyed the whole place in fury.

"Hellfire!" Dru appeared, rushing to her and falling to her knees in front of her, holding onto her waist tightly. "It was so _cold_ without you. So cold. And daddy's so scary. And the stars wouldn't tell me where you were dancing and..."

Chloe hands went around Dru, surprised to feel the vampiress shivering. "Dru--?"

But she didn't get the opportunity to finish, as Spike wheeled into the room, stopping when he saw her, a look of relief crossing his face. "You're here." He turned to call behind him, but Angelus stormed in after him.

Just like Spike before him, Angelus froze when he saw her, the fury in him turning into confusion that was obvious on his demon's face as he just looked at her. "You came back."

"Of course I did." She whispered, looking at his every feature, trying to see Angel there somewhere. The blonde caressed Dru's hair soothingly like second nature as she finally glared at him, not having to be nice and sweet and careful now that Sam wasn't around to use as a bargaining chip. "What is _wrong_ with you? You _destroyed_ this place and scared Dru. And that's that Dru _likes_ violence!"

Spike blinked in surprise at her aggressive stance, before smirking.

Angelus took a step back. "Excuse me?"

"I _said_, what is _wrong_ with you?" She snapped. "Look at Dru! _You_ have her like this! Why? Because you couldn't keep your temper for one second?"

He snarled, eyes vicious gold as he stormed towards her. "How _dare_ you talk to me like that! I thought you'd left me! I thought you'd taken that human and gone! I thought that---."

A slap resounded in the home.

Spike began to cackle loudly, with gusto. "I _seriously_ love this girl!"

Dru looked up from where she'd been hiding her face in Chloe's mid-section, eyes wide.

But, they couldn't be wider than Angelus', his face already showing the red handprint on his cheek.

"I _swore_ that I'd stay." She glared at him. "And I don't know about _you_, _Angelus_, but _Angel_ knew that when I gave my word, I _meant_ it."

Angelus brought a hand to his cheek in near awe, turning to look at her oddly.

"I let Sam go. Because you didn't need to keep him prisoner here to keep _me_ here." She replied, helping Dru up and fixing the slightly taller female's hair as she spoke. "If you want to move now that our lair's been compromised, _fine_. I've always wanted to go Europe anyway."

Angelus tilted his head slightly as he looked at her, expression still odd.

"But there's going to be some changes around here." She warned him, firm and unafraid despite knowing the monster she had in front of her, despite knowing what he was capable of, what he _enjoyed_ doing. "You want to hunt people? Fine. There's enough criminals out there that the law lets loose. You hunt _them_. I'll look the other way. Hell, if he's a pedophile or serial killer I'll help you _find_ him. You'll use your brain _and_ your brawn, make the hunt more interesting."

"She has a point." Spike announced. "Stupid bints trying to outrun us in bleedin'_ stilettos_ gets kinda old after a while."

Dru giggled and clapped her hands. "Sounds like such fun! A family hunt! We haven't had a family hunt in _centuries!_"

Chloe turned to look at her and had to smile at the enthusiasm on the vampiress' face, even if it was about a future kill.

Angelus took a slow step towards Chloe. "You...came back."

She turned back towards him, looking up into his face, continuing to try and see Angel.

He wasn't there.

Disappointment and slight hysteria built up in her throat, but she pushed it down stubbornly.

She couldn't let herself doubt.

She _couldn't._

Or she'd go insane.

"Of course." Chloe nodded.

Her gaze went down to her finger, to her ring, twisting the metal around her digit. She thought back to the dock when Angel had given her the ring, and her gaze went to Angelus' hand...to the matching ring that he hadn't ever taken off, even after having lost his soul.

That was the image she needed to keep in her mind...the image...the promise...the promise to be _one_, to belong to each other.

No matter _what._

Cold fingers slid up her cheek caressingly. "What part of Europe do you want to see, My Lass?"

She raised her gaze up to his. "How about Italy?"

Dru giggled. "I _love_ the boot!"

Spike wheeled up besides them. "I'll talk to Fatty. He'll arrange everything so we can move by tonight."

The blonde nodded, hugging herself. "Yeah."

Angelus watched her in silence before reaching out his hand to her silently.

Chloe took in a deep breath, hesitating, eyeing the claddagh ring facing towards him, before closing her eyes and taking in another deep breath, placing her much smaller hand in his own, accepting the fate she'd chosen. Her whole life was going to change after this night. It would never be the same again. She was going to change with the experiences she was going to have to encounter, and she could only hope that she would somehow change the vampires as well, if only just a little.

Dru collapsed onto Spike's lap, hugging his neck.

Chloe hesitated a second before letting go of Angelus' hand and leaning towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning her cheek again him.

He hesitated a second before his arms went around her too.

Chloe closed her eyes.

_Ready or not..._

* * *

**Wow. So we're at the end of Season Two. Wow. This went by fast.**

**Not sure about Season Three or whether I should leave it at this. **

**Only time will tell, I guess.**

**Review?**


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